Landlords - anyone know about electrical inspection reports?

[maggiethecat]

Recently been told that our test failed because the ground floor sockets did not meet new regs (BS7671 - IEE wiring). Our flat was converted in 1998 so wondered if these new regs applied.

Also, is a passed electrical certificate a legal requirement? (we only did it for peace of mind)

The only certificate that it mandatory is the gas appliance inspection. Electrical one is nice to have. I only know this as I recently had a 1993 built flat "updated" and it then failed an electrical cert inspection on a couple of minor points. Moral of story is to only employ an electrician qualified to conduct his own certification.

Yes, we have recently let out MIL's flat and this was a problem for us. Although we employed an agent weeks before it was let, they sent the electrician round the day before and it failed as it needed to be completely rewired. We sorted it out before we allowed the tenant to occupy. If you let a tenant in and they suffer injury or loss as a result of defective electrics, the fact that you didn't do the required work and get a certificate would be evidence of your negligence. Personally, I wouldn't risk it.

But as far as I can understand these are new regs and I would believe that millions of homes are not compliant with new standard - this is not to say that the existing electrics are defective?

We let out our house in 2006 with wiring having been done in 1992 and it failed. All we did was to have the switch for the immersion moved from inside the bathroom to outside the bathroom, where perversely it is closer to the bath, and the sparks that did it for us issued the certificate.

An electrical testing bod is NOT going to be a trained electrician. Get one of those in, show him the report and see what he says.

On the basis that the regs change all the time, every house in the UK would fail an inspection. Talk to your letting agent and they will recommend someone to do the work for you who won't rip you off.

Scary, our agent employed a company to do inventory and pir (electrical test) and the company subcontracted an electrician. It was only after I kept chasing for docs (having paid good money for these services after all!!) that I was told yesterday that it seems like the electrical test was not actually done, electrician went in yesterday and failed the test based on the new regs (which from doing some checks i'm not sure that the test can be failed in respect of old installations - thought new regs re: ground floor sockets and the fitting of RCDs applied to installations post 2009). He is charging £380 to install RCD and sort out sockets and I am told that this is a special price bcos of the muddle!!

As you can tell, I am not impressed!

Maggie - please don't accept that quote. The electrician who carried out the test on our MIL's property quoted £2.5k and said he would need a fortnight to do it. We got it done for just over £900 and in just over a week. They have you on the back foot - take back control!!

There is no requirement for the electrics in rental properties to be up to a particular standard, only that they are safe.

Maggie, having RCDs fitted is a good idea and will make the electrics safer but unless you need a completely new fuse board I can't think how it can cost that much. I suggest getting another couple of quotes. You can let the property before the work is done.

Maggie - get a local guy in to have a look and explain the problem to him. You can't fail on sockets (or everyone would have to tear theirs out), so that's a try on. Unless the wiring is old twisted bell wire, bakelite switches and two pin sockets, you should be OK.

Got some info from the Institute of Electrial Technicians and they referred me to a good guide on PIRs. It is clear that compliance with the new regs is not mandatory but will as MisterW says make the property safer. They cannot 'fail' you bcos you are not compliant as is being suggested by the letting agent. There are apparently categories of the PIR from warnings to suggestions for improvement and what is being proposed would be in the 'least dangerous' category.

Sockets are fine but they just do not comply with new regs so I'll take a view on if I want to get RCD in at the moment.

MisterW - called around and got another quote to install RCD and it was £285 plus VAT. Bear in mind that I was told that the original electrician's quote of £380 plus VAT was a discounted price bcos of their cock-up!!