NAPIT TA Support Recommendation for 5 Yearly Inspections of Electrical Installations in PRS
The NAPIT Trade Association is fully supportive of a joint industry report proposing the Government should legislate for five yearly inspections of electrical installations and appliances supplied with private rented properties. The report entitled Home Improvement: Tackling Poor Electrical Safety in the Private Rented Sector [1], has been officially launched today in Westminster by Electrical Safety First, Shelter and British Gas.
According to figures from the latest English Housing Survey [2], homes in the private rented sector are worse than in any other tenure, with a third failing to meet the Governments Decent Homes Standard. This situation is partly due to the high number of electrically unsafe private rented properties which are leased every year. The research in the report sets out what more can be done to eliminate these hazards, ensuring tenants are provided with safe homes and also includes guidance on helping them speak out if this is not the case.
With an on-going review of property conditions in the private rented sector currently being carried out by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG), it is crucial that this issue is given proper attention. A survey carried out by the NAPIT Trade Association supports this, showing 66% of members said campaigning for it to become mandatory for landlords in the private rented sector to have an electrical safety check every five years is one of the most important issues that faces the industry at the moment.
Frank Bertie, Chairman of the NAPIT Trade Association, said: “It is vital that this important issue is addressed and we strongly support the publication of this detailed report which highlights the dangers electrical safety pose to householders and suggests improvements. We hope this report will provide a catalyst for a significant step change in current policy and will result in ensuring the safety of homes in the private rented sector by guaranteeing that electrical safety checks become mandatory every five years. We propose the checks are carried out in the form of an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) carried out every five years by a competent electrician experienced in carrying out EICR’s and supported by an annual visual inspection, using an industry designed and agreed checklist.”
References:
1.
http://england.shelter.org.uk/professional_resources/policy_and_research/policy_library/policy_library_folder/report_home_improvement 2.
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/284648/English_Housing_Survey_Headline_Report_2012-13.pdf
Article Published:
24 June 2014
dclgtrade associationnapitprs