Electrical safety & landlord awareness; Building products & services
landlords should undertake a visual inspection of the property after each change of tenancy. These proposals are, according to the charity, a cost- effective, simple way to protect both people and property. This is why Electrical Safety First were delighted when the most recent Housing (Scotland) Act included these checks as legal requirements and today, all PRS landlords in Scotland are required to ensure the electrics in their properties are inspected at least every five years. A copy of the latest EICR, or electrical inspection condition report must also be provided to the tenant.
Specific proposals
When the Scottish Government introduced this requirement, it proved itself a step ahead of the rest of the UK – and aware of the real impact of dangerous electrics. To ensure compliance, landlords were given a period of grace, with the regulation initially only covering new tenancies beginning in December 2015. Landlords with existing tenancies were given an additional or ‘transitional’ year – until 1 December 2016 – to organise inspections for their properties. In Wales, Electrical Safety First worked closely with Assembly Members
on the Renting Homes (Wales) Act, which was granted Royal Assent in January 2016. Following consultation, fitness for human habitation provisions will come into force and regular PRS electrical inspections are fully expected to be included. In Northern Ireland, despite the current political uncertainty, the Department for Communities has stated that they would like to press ahead with mandatory PRS electrical checks as soon as possible. When England’s Housing and Planning Act gained Royal Assent last May, it contained an amendment on electrical safety, which we sponsored.
However, until the regulation has been passed by the Secretary of State, we will not know the extent of the obligations, so Electrical Safety First have continued to work on the issue as members of the Department for Communities and Local Government’s (DCLG) PRS Electrical Safety Working Group. The DCLG has now drafted a report, which will be submitted to the Housing Minister Gavin Barwell, recommending mandatory electrical checks. The next step is to wait for ministerial approval. If successful, draft regulations will be proposed, followed by a parliamentary debate and further public consultation. Given Brexit, among other things, we would not expect any changes to impact the sector until much later this year.
Safety for everyone
While our focus has initially been on the PRS, it doesn’t stop there. We want everyone to live in a safe home, regardless of whether they rent privately, live in social housing or are home-owners. To this end, Electrical Safety First have just launched a new campaign in Scotland called Inequality Street. It calls on the Scottish Government to extend five-yearly electrical safety checks to all social housing and, as a first step, to add this protection to those living in owner occupied flats, where the risk of fire spreading to other households is increased. And we want to see the installation of RCDs- which quickly cut the current to prevent fatal electric shock – to be fitted in all rented homes. Electrical safety can’t stop at the PRS, but improvements are starting there.
Phil Buckle is chief executive of Electrical Safety First.
Moisture Meters for building professionals
‘The 7000 & 7250 meters incorporate an LED bar graph that indicates ‘OK’, ‘WARNING’ or ‘DAMP’ levels making moisture content diagnosis easy’
auto-power off & hold functions 7000 model for interchangeable probes 5 scales - concrete, plaster, reference & two timber
www.etiltd.com www.housingmmonline.co.uk | HMM May 2017 | 37
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52
