HOW SAFE IS YOUR HOUSE?

Each year, we hear how tragic events happen where people end up dying in rented properties due to carbon monoxide or an electrical fault. Although these numbers are relatively low, one person dying a year is still one person too many, especially when the cause could have been avoided.

Last year we heard how a 33 year old mother who had just moved into a rented property was electrocuted by the bathroom taps with 175 volts, she died instantly. Her five year old child found her and raised the alarm.

The law states your rented property must be electrically safe, however unlike the Gas Safety Certificate which is legally required every year, the electrical certificate is not.
This makes it extremely difficult as an Agent to enforce.

That said, the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 clearly states it is the responsibility of the Landlord to ensure the property and all electrical equipment provided is safe. The only way to do this is to have a NIC EIC Certificate (and renewed every 5 years) and a PAT test (portable appliance test) on equipment, normally when a new tenant takes up occupation.

The seriousness of an injury or death as a result of an electrical fault which is then found to be due to the ignorance or neglect of the landlord, will be deemed as a criminal offence and as such the Landlord will receive not only a large fine but a prison sentence of up to 20 years.

So, my 2011 tip to all Landlords is to get the certificate to ensure your property is safe.