Landlords and property management agents will be putting new policies in place very soon, with the announcement that the government plans to introduce mandatory electrical installation checks throughout the private rental sector.
Safety for tenants is paramount
According to a recent article in Letting Agent Today, the proposed new legislation will also include guidance setting out minimum standards in the way of qualifications and competence for electrical inspectors, in an attempt to ensure that rental homes are safe from potential electrical faults.
Heather Wheeler, the current Minister for Housing and Homelessness, has spoken of the need to make sure that tenants are properly safeguarded. She hopes that the proposed new measures will result in a reduction of risk of electrical faults within the rental sector, allowing tenants and landlords to feel safe and secure. Most importantly, landlords and managing agents will be provided with unequivocal guidance about what is required to keep electrical items safe and legal for use.
Guidelines being prepared
Government ministers intend to publish clear guidelines about exactly what is required, as well as who is responsible, with an emphasis on making the process as cost-effective and easy to implement as possible. This is something that management companies and landlords alike, may choose to include in their property inventory software, which will help to automate the processes involved.
“But what is property inventory software?” you ask. Well, if it’s not currently on your radar, it really should be, as it speeds up the check in, check out and inventory processes, saving you time and money. Adding the details of the impending regulations to software programs will ensure that landlords and agents can keep track of certification requirements via their mobile phones, making it impossible to overlook renewal dates, and thereby ensuring continued compliance. And with the prospect of heavy financial penalties for any landlords who fail to comply with the new legislation, any process that encourages them to keep abreast of changing regulations is to be welcomed.
When will the new rules come into force?
During a planned two-year campaign to introduce the new legislation, current existing tenancies will be given a twelve-month grace period. New tenancies, however, will be expected to abide by the new regulations during the first year of its implementation.
