• Every year faulty electrics and electrical equipment lead to around 70 deaths and 350,000 injuries in UK homes.
• Electric faults or misuse of electrical equipment lead to almost half of all domestic fires in the UK.

New legislation for landlords

Private landlords have a responsibility for their tenants’ safety and are required to ensure the properties they rent out are secure. From July last year, they have been obliged to get the electrics tested by a qualified electrician at the start of each new tenancy, but there’s a further requirement; that all existing tenancies be checked by 1^st April 2021. Thereafter, inspections need to be made every five years.

The electrical checks should be undertaken by a qualified electrician, and if the inspection reveals any necessary repairs, remedial work must be carried out within 28 days. All repair work must meet BS 7671 and the appropriate certification issued.

More information

Electrical Safety First has published a leaflet setting out the landlord’s responsibilities in and practical advice to help keep their tenants safe. The leaflet is available here

A new qualification: LCL Awards Level 2 Award in Electrical Safety Awareness in Social Housing and Residential Dwellings

In order to address this, we have recently launched a qualification for landlords, estate agents and others who work within the private and social housing sectors. It’s designed to help them understand the particular requirements of electrical safety within the domestic environment. The award covers:

• The legislation and guidance requirements
• The principles and characteristics of electricity
• How electricity is used within dwellings
• The dangers and risks associated with electricity in dwellings
• The identification of electrical appliances, fixtures and fittings that may pose a danger to those living in a building.

There are no specific pre-requisites for this qualification, but centres should conduct an initial assessment of the candidate prior to registration to check that they are suited to it. Assessment is made via an online multiple-choice examination accessed on XAMS.

For more details, please click here and if you’d be interested in delivering this qualification at your training centre, please contact us directly.