Landlord and faulty plug sockets AIBU

[ImSuchABigIdiot]

I live in a rented flat, and I’ve noticed that some of the plug sockets in the flat don’t work.

I’ve emailed my landlord about this, and he’s replied saying that the plug sockets don’t work because they aren’t connected to a power supply.

They are all connected to a power supply, so I emailed him back and said (politely) that all of the sockets are connected to a power supply. I also attached photos of the sockets to the email.

What are my rights in this situation please? Does the landlord have to do anything?

I’m not really sure what tenants’ rights are when they move into a flat and the sockets/appliances are already faulty.

Bump.

How do you know they’re connected?

We have some old sockets in a lean to that are no longer connected as we had the house re wired, but we weren’t bothered about removing the non working sockets in the lean to as had bigger plans for renovation at a later date.

When we did our inventory check on moving into rented, none of the sockets had been checked by the agent (said not checked on inventory). We tested every one and noted which didn't work. They were then fixed so they did.

Imo this is something which should have done when you took up the tenancy.

Do you know they are definitely wired to mains and don't work rather than the sockets just haven't been removed but the wiring has been disconnected.

They’re next to sockets that do work and are connected, so I thought these other sockets that don't work would be connected too. The landlord didn’t mention this when I moved in and didn’t do an inventory either

So you're talking a double socket where only one side works?

Do you know any electricians who might be able to take a look to verify what is going on?

How do you know they are connected, if they aren't working?

You can of course take out the two screws and see if there is wiring behind, but that doesn't mean that the wiring is connected to a fuse box.
It's possible of course that a fuse or circuit trip has failed due to a faulty appliance that has been plugged in at some time.
Have you checked the distribution board / consumer unit to see if one of the circuits is disconnected? If so I would insist that the system is tested for safety by an electrician.

How do you know they are connected to the circuit?

Our house has loads of sockets that aren't connected. Lots of them are right next to sockets that are connected. It's because the previous owner didn't pay to have the old wiring removed when the place was rewired!

What I don’t understand is why the landlord didn’t tell me before I moved in about whether the sockets were connected or not. Three other tenants, who moved in before me and who are still there, didn’t get told this by the landlord either. None of us had a clue.

The only issue you have is if they are dangerous. A good landlord will do an electrician safety survey, but he is not legally obliged to do so. Pay for an electrician to check if they are safe, or just not working

Do you need them to work? An inventory wouldn't have said they were working, just they were there - not having an inventory will work in your favour when you leave so don't push getting one.

Is it a double socket where one doesn't work or two separate single sockets next to each other?

Did you rent privately or through an agent?

you talked about other tenants, is this an HMO? Electrical safety check may be a legal requirement, look at your council website for rules on HMOs.

I think it must be an HMO, @Sunnyshores, as I’ve just looked up the definition of an HMO.

We had a formal council inspection a few weeks ago, although none of us were in the flat at the time. The landlord emailed to say we would have one.

@Minisoksmakehardeork the sockets are double sockets where one socket works and the other doesn’t. I rent privately (directly from the landlord).

Your landlord is legally obliged to ensure electrical safety - I got an inspection done before my tenants moved in, and certificate to show it was safe. The standard was quite high - they required some remediation work first, even though it had been fine when I was living there.

Thanks @funnelfanjo. So is my landlord looking legally obliged to make sure these plugs work or just to make sure that they’re safe?

You can contact the council for advice specially if it's an HMO.

Why where the council inspecting if they are not your landlord?

The council here check all rented accommodation private or HB in Ireland.

They check amount of tenants, gas and electric safety certs, smoke alarms etc, ventilation and so on.

Only in past few years so maybe it is a roll out in the UK too for rouge landlord's.

I’m not an expert - I let through an agent who is! However, google “Electrical Installation Condition Report for landlords”. I believe your landlord should be able to produce one on request.

In England a LL does not need an electrical safety check, unless it's an HMO and then only in certain counties/cities.
Ireland will have completely different rules, and as he's had the council round it seems he is following the rules. The socket will need to be safe, not necessarily work.