Q. I am going to rent my property out in the New Year and have been speaking to various agents with regards to the necessary arrangements to get the property ready to rent. There seems to be so much new legislation for landlords, one of the things they have mentioned is a portable appliance test, is this really necessary?
A. Yes – absolutely! Over the past few years a number of important pieces of legislation have been introduced which relate to landlords obligations when letting their properties. The requirement for this falls under The Electricity Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994. The safety of Consumer Goods is controlled by the requirements of the Consumer Protection Act 1987. These requirements extend to “consumer goods” supplied in rented accommodation.
The Landlord is responsible for ensuring that safety rules are complied with – in particular that all electrical appliances must be safe for use.
The safest way to avoid prosecution is to have all electrical appliances checked and serviced by a competent electrician. Most appliances purchased since June 1989 should meet the relevant British Standards. Your Estate Agent will usually be able to recommend a qualified electrician to carry this out for you; this will provide you with cover in the form of a certificate which will cover you for 1-2 years.