This is part of a series of guidance about safety and security provided for students.

Electrical Safety

Whilst your landlord has a legal duty to ensure that the electrical installation of the property is safe, unlike the gas regulations, the electrical regulations do not specify a particular inspection that must be done to achieve this.

Electrical Checks

We recommend that all properties be inspected by an NICEIC electrician or similar, and a Periodic Inspection report be produced. A Periodic Inspection is a check of the fixed electrical installation, and includes things like the fuse board / consumer unit and the sockets. At the time of the inspection the electrician will specify how long the report should be valid for, and they can specify anything up to ten years. Because of the higher wear and tear in rented accommodation, we recommend a maximum interval between inspections of five years, even if the report says longer.

The other test that should be done is Portable Appliance Testing (PAT). This tests all sorts of appliances, including things you might not think of as being particularly portable, such as fridges and freezers, as well as things like televisions and microwaves if your landlord provides them. As a rule of thumb, if it has a plug, it is covered by PAT. We recommend PAT be carried out every one or two years.

Accreditation

Since the law does not specify exactly what landlords must do to ensure properties are electrically safe, it can be difficult for tenants to establish whether a house is safe or not. However, the Accreditation Scheme requires landlords to have Electrical Periodic Inspections and Portable Appliance Testing carried out. We strongly recommend you pick an accredited property to make sure that it meets reasonable levels of electrical safety.

Appliance Manuals

If manuals are required for the safe operation of appliances, your landlord should provide them.

Summary

The law is not as specific for electrical safety as it is for gas, but the landlord still has an obligation to make sure the electrical installation is safe.
A Periodic Inspection tests the fixed electrical installation of the property.
Portable Appliance Testing tests appliances such as fridges and freezers.
Accredited properties have to meet standards not required in law. Choose an accredited property for piece of mind.

Pages in this Guide

The following pages have a lot of information about safety, which might seem a lot to take in. If you don’t want to have to check all these things, Accreditation can be considered a ‘short-cut’, since most of our safety advice is reflected in the requirements of the Accreditation Scheme. It’s one of the reasons we strongly recommend you to rent an Accredited house.

This information is provided for general guidance only. Safety and security are important issues, and if you have any concerns you should speak to an expert.