By The Housing minister, Heather Wheeler, has announced new electrical safety measures requiring five yearly safety inspections to be carried out by a competent and qualified inspector in private rented accommodation.
This follows the government’s commitment to drive up standards in the private rented sector and will come with considerable financial penalties for landlords who fail to comply, according to the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government.
Landlords will be legally required to perform mandatory five yearly safety checks when the regulations have been fully introduced and clear guidance will be issued to inform landlords about who they should be hiring for these inspections. This should provide clear accountability at each stage of the process, according to the recent press release from the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government.
As well as protecting tenants and improving home safety, the new regulations are said to benefit landlords by helping to prevent fires that can cause costly and significant damage. It has also been announced that these new measures will not place an excessive cost or time burden on landlords.
New powers have also been allocated to local governments such as a £30,000 fine and banning orders for landlords who do rent out poor quality properties, as part of the government’s ongoing action to drive up standards in the private rented sector.
Other recent changes include the Tenant Fees Bill which will be implemented from the 1st of June. This is also designed to create a better and fairer housing market that works for everyone, according to the government’s recent press release.
Heather Wheeler MP said: “Everyone has the right to feel safe and secure in their own home. While measures are already in place to crack down on the small minority of landlords who rent out unsafe properties, we need to do more to protect tenants.
“These new measures will reduce the risk of faulty electrical equipment, giving people peace of mind and helping to keep them safe in their homes.
“It will also provide clear guidance to landlords on who they should be hiring to carry out these important electrical safety checks.”
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