On 18 March 2020, the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 (SI 2020/312) were made, under sections 122 and 123 of the Housing and Planning Act 2016. They came into force on 1 June 2020 and apply to England only.
The Regulations apply to new tenancies (being tenancies signed on or after 1 June 2020) from 1 July 2020 and existing tenancies from 1 April 2021.
The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 (SI 2020/312) require landlords to find a qualified and competent person to inspect the electrical installations in their properties at least every five years. They must also provide a copy of the report (known as the Electrical Safety Condition Report or EICR) to tenants, and to the local authority if requested. Should the EICR require investigative or remedial works, landlords will have to carry this out.
Local Authorities are responsible for the enforcement of these standards. These include sending remedial notices when landlords are not meeting obligations under the Regulations, carrying out remedial action for tenants and issuing financial penalties to landlords for failure to comply with the Regulations.
If you have any queries relating to this or any other property matter, please contact Natalie Walford or a member of our Real Estate team.
