Bob Doris MSP: Electrical safety checks in Scotland's Housing Bill will protect everyone

The Private Rented Sector (PRS) in Scotland has more than doubled in size in the last decade. Yet in 2012, almost two thirds of PRS homes failed to meet the Scottish Housing Quality Standard. And, as parents with children now make up over a quarter of all private tenants, it should come as no surprise that concerns over disrepair and safety in the sector have intensified.

However, the danger from electricity can sometimes be forgotten, perhaps because it has become such an integral part of our everyday life. But in Scotland, from 2012 to 2013, over 3,400 domestic fires (almost 70% of all accidental fires) arose from an electrical fault.

So I was delighted when my amendment on electrical safety was included in the new Housing Bill. It means that landlords must ensure five-yearly electrical checks, by a registered electrician, of the wiring and any electrical appliances supplied in privately rented homes.

By including electrical checks in the bill, I have no doubt that it will help prevent fires and potentially save lives. It also means that private tenants in Scotland now have greater protection than those living and renting in England. And it benefits both tenants and landlords – with the latter being able to ensure they keep their properties safe from the risk of fire.

One of the organisations I worked closely with in developing the amendment was Electrical Safety First, a charity which aims to raise awareness of the dangers of electricity and reduce the number of deaths and injuries it causes. They were also instrumental in helping to establish a coalition of organisations – including Shelter Scotland, the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors Scotland and Citizen Advice Scotland - who publicly supported the amendment.

The fact that the Scottish Association of Landlords also joined this alliance was particularly important, as gaining the support of the sector helps ensure a new regulation is implemented effectively.

But the impetus to improve conditions in the PRS continues. A working group has been established to look at a range of issues, including giving increased security of tenure to private tenants. Modelling itself on the type of coalition developed by Electrical Safety First, it aims to develop an approach that will be mutually beneficial to both tenants and (good) landlords alike.

The bottom line is that everyone, no matter whether they live in their own home, social housing, or rent privately, deserves to feel safe in their own home. The inclusion of electrical safety checks in Scotland’s Housing Bill takes that a step closer to reality.