Landlord Electrical Safety Laws in Scotland Have Changed
As of the 1st December 2015 private landlords are now responsible for ensuring that an electrical safety inspection of their property is carried out by a registered electrician a minimum of every 5 years.
The Detail
As of 1st December 2015, under sections 13(4A) and 19B(4) of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006, private landlords in Scotland will be required by law to ensure that their properties are electrically safe.
This covers:
- Any installations in the property for the supply of electricity
- Electrical fixtures and fittings
- Any appliances provided by the landlord under the tenancy
Landlords must be able to prove that all of the above are in a reasonable state of repair and in proper working order.
What Do Landlords Need To Do?
As a landlord you are required to carry out regular electrical safety inspections by a competent person and that anything that fails to pass the inspection must be replaced.
An electrical safety inspection must be carried out –
Before a tenancy starts and at intervals of no more than five years of the date of the previous inspection
A copy of the electrical safety inspection must be be provided to both new and existing tenants
The electrician who conducts the checks must be employed by a firm that is a member of the accredited registration scheme recognised by the Scottish Government.
In general this means they will be registered with NICEIC or a member firm of the Electrical Contractors’ Association of Scotland (SELECT).
