Last week’s blog post was all about electrical safety certificates (EICR’s) in rented properties. In this short post, I’m adding on to this to talk about what happens to your property when your EICR comes back as unsatisfactory. Some questions that may arise and how to go about getting your rental back on track.
In the EICR you receive, you will have a list of faults. These will be C1, C2 or C3. As a reminder from my last post; C1 must be sorted there and then at the time of testing as it could be a danger to life, C2 means there is potential for danger and needs attention and a C3 is a recommendation for improvement.
Your electrician should provide you with a detailed quote to get a satisfactory report which you can either accept there and then or get a 2nd opinion if you think it is too expensive. If there were any C1’s then you may still be charged for the works done to make these safe. It is a requirement for the electrician to do this so do bare this in mind.
If you have a tenant ready to move in, then I always look to advise landlords to get the remedial works done before the check in date or move the check in date back to accommodate the works. This means that you can supply a satisfactory report at the time of the check in with your new tenants and makes sure you are covered under this legislation. Also, it provides peace of mind for the tenants that they are moving into an electrically safe property.
Another tip I always mention to landlords is to look at the C3’s on the report. These are only recommendations but if the electrician will be there anyway doing the remedial works to make the report satisfactory, you aren’t paying for another call out in the future. Plus, some of the C3’s may only cost a minor amount to sort but it’s something not to worry about in the future. This shows your tenant that you aren’t just about doing the minimum safety requirements too.
As always, if you have any further questions on this or just want to chat about how I can help, do drop me an email to scott.mason@newtonfallowell.co.uk
Speak soon and stay safe.
