Tenants and landlords electrical safety advice
Val Chisolm
If you live in rented property you’re at the mercy of the landlords and if they’re not up to the job of making sure you’re safe in terms of gas and electric, then you’re in trouble. You could be at risk of being involved in an accident at any time, so you need to make sure your landlords are doing everything they can to ensure your safety. In this post, our team of experienced electricians in Edinburgh are looking at electrical safety advice, so it’s useful to both a tenant and a landlord.
Grim statistics on electrical accidents
The statistics are clear, as is the study from the Electrical Safety Council, and there are lots of reasons why landlords are putting themselves and their tenants at risk. From the landlord’s point of view, we’re talking financial risk, invalidated insurance and fines, because they haven’t acted on their obligations. From the tenant’s point of view, we’re looking at serious accidents. It’s all too evident that some landlords are not listening to renters as the ESC study highlighted countless electrical concerns from renters which had been ignored.
A lack of understanding may play its part, that and burying your head in the sand, but something needs to be done. Often, landlords AND tenants weren’t entirely sure who exactly was responsible from electrical safety in the home.
Landlord electrical safety – they are responsible
Landlords are responsible for your electrical safety and part of their job is to make sure electrical installations and any wiring are kept in a safe condition throughout your tenancy. They must also be checked every 5 years. It’s important your landlords are aware of this and if you find they aren’t listening to your concerns then point out their responsibility to you as a tenant and if you don’t get a satisfactory response, report them. As a tenant, you must maintain the electrical items that belong to you, that you bring into the house while renting, as this will help keep you safe. Don’t be complacent, be as proactive as you’d like your landlord to be.
The Electrical Safety Council – help and advice
The Electrical Safety Council has created a free guide for landlords which points out what their responsibilities lie when it comes to electrical safety. Because of the housing shortage and the austerity measures many more people are relying on rented housing, so it’s an imperative to ensure the electrical safety of tenants.
VC Electrical – qualified and registered electricians Edinburgh
If you’re worried about the state of your electrical appliances and wiring, whether you’re a landlord or tenant get in touch with us here at VC Electrical, where one of our qualified, trained and registered electricians will be more than happy to help.