Electric Certificates For Landlords - Your ResponsibilitiesIf you're a property owner, it's essential to keep your property up to scratch. You'll have to make sure that your electrics meet certain standards.The landlords must be sure that their electrical installations are checked and tested by a certified person at regular intervals. These inspections are referred to as EICRs or electrical installation condition reports.Legal RequirementsThere are many obligations that landlords must fulfil in order to ensure that their properties and tenants safe, and the electrical safety laws aren't an exception. Faulty wiring is a leading cause of house fires in the UK. It is essential that landlords take all the necessary precautions to ensure that the electrical systems in your property are safe.Landlords are now legally obliged to ensure that their electrical installation is in good condition prior to renting it out to tenants. This can help to prevent damage and injury to your property and also save you money on maintenance and repair bills in the long run.You must inspect and test your electrical installations as a landlord in order to comply with the legal requirements. This will require an electrician to visit your property to check and test the electrical wiring and then writing an assessment of any problems that were found and any remedial work that is required.The law stipulates that all tenants renting the property must receive the most recent report. The report must be made available to the local authorities, upon request.There is no need to obtain an electric certification each time you let out your property, however if it has been at least five years since the last one was issued, then it will be necessary to conduct a new electrical safety inspection. The EICR is a document that provides the test results as well as any remedial work required to be done, so it is vital that you have this in place to give your tenants and local authorities with the information they need.It is recommended that an EICR is taken every ten years. However, this has changed to a more lenient five-year rule starting in July 2020.If eicr certificates began prior to the changes in regulations, you don't have to obtain a new electric certificate until April 2021. It is essential to have it updated as soon as is possible in the event that your tenancy is extended or the last one expires.Be sure to keep your tenants safeIt is your responsibility to ensure that the electrical systems are secure when you lease a property. This could mean hiring an engineer to visit the property and test the electrics.To ensure your tenants are safe there are a few legal requirements that you must adhere to. This includes registering every person who uses gas appliances or flues on the Gas Safe Register. You could be charged a fine if you don't follow these rules.It's also important to get a professional, independent electrical inspection conducted by an electrician. This will help you identify any potential issues with the electrical systems in your home which could save you a lot of headache if something does go wrong.The best way to go about it is to hire a qualified and licensed electrician to carry out the inspection. Also, make sure that you have a valid EICR certificate in hand following the inspection completed. This document can prove to the landlord and the local authority and anyone else who may require it that your electrical system was scrutinized in accordance to current regulations.This is a great method to avoid future issues with the electrics in your home. It can reduce the risk of fire or injury. To ensure that electrical certificate are safe you should give them a copy of the EICR.You'll have to address any issues that were noted by the inspector on your EICR. If the report is marked with the C1 or C2 classification code it is an immediate risk to your tenant or any other persons living in the building. You must complete the remedial work as soon as possible.If you do not take action to address any issues discovered during the inspection, your local authority will issue an order to correct the problem and demand you to pay a financial fine. This could amount to PS30,000.If your electrical system is found to be in poor state, then your local authority will be able provide the necessary recommendations to improve it. You will be issued a remedy notice by your local authority. This will require you follow their suggestions and complete the improvements within a certain timeframe.Maintaining your property in good ConditionOne of your most important responsibilities as a landlord is to keep your property in top condition. The right maintenance practices in place can make your property attractive to potential tenants and reduce the need for costly repairs later on. Having a good quality insurance policy can protect your property in the event of an accident.Making the effort to carry out thorough inspections of your home is essential to ensure that you aren't wasting your hard-earned money on repairs that you could have avoided. Regular inspections of your property should include an inspection of the ceilings floors, walls as well as electrical installations. It is important to keep in mind that some appliances have a limited lifespan so it's important to replace them if needed.Selecting the right electricians finish your inspection is another method of ensuring that you're getting top quality work at a reasonable price. It is a good idea to hire reputable firms with at least five years of experience and who belong to the relevant trade associations. The industry is very competitive so you'll want to be able to count on the people you trust to do the job properly.Keeping Yourself SafeIt is your responsibility to maintain electronic certificates. You could face severe legal penalties and lose the right to rent your home if you don't. You could also be held accountable for any injuries that a tenant suffers in your premises because of inadequate wiring.The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 came into force on June 1, 2020. They required landlords to have their electrical systems tested and inspected by a licensed electrician, as legally required. The first time this was introduced was for new tenancies. However, from April 2021 , it will apply to existing tenancies too.During an inspection the electrician will look over your property to ensure that it complies with all applicable regulations and is in good working order. They should also find any issues that need to be addressed prior to them becoming an issue.They will also assess the safety of your property's sockets plugs, outlets, and fuse boxes. Ultimately, this will help you keep your tenants safe from electrical hazards, and also avoid any costly repairs in the future.The report will also include the code to classify your installation. It will show whether it is satisfactory. The classification code will give you a good idea of the extent of any problems and, if you are concerned you should seek advice from the electrician about what needs to be done.You could then have your electrics examined again by the same electrician to ensure they're in compliance with the most recent regulations and are in good shape. There is the section titled "5-year testing, inspection" in the report. This section can be used to remind you that it is time for another EICR.When eicr certificates get an EICR, it will contain the date the electrician carried out their work on your property. This should help you remember when you'll need to have your property reinspected. This will ensure that you do not get caught in the crossfire of any legal requirements and will aid in protecting your investment.