A new study by the
Electrical Safety Council(
ESC) found 1.7 million private renters have reported electrical concerns that were either ignored by their landlord or acted on too slowly.
1.3 million renters are currently waiting for electrical issues to be resolved.
Landlords are exposing themselves to significant financial risks, from fines and invalidated insurance, through not acting on their electrical safety obligations.
Ignoring their responsibilities means landlords are also putting millions of UK private tenants at risk of serious accident or fire.
By law, landlords must ensure electrical installations and wiring are maintained in a safe condition throughout the tenancy.
Phil Buckle, Director General of the
Electrical Safety Council, said:
“We’ve found that many landlords are ignorant of their responsibilities. In the long term, we’d like to see tighter guidelines for landlords on electrical safety.
"With the number of non-professional landlords increasing every day, we also need to address this now.
"We need all landlords to understand that they are not only putting people’s lives at risk, but they could also face serious financial loss through fines or invalidated insurance if they don’t act on their existing obligations.”
The
ESCstudy hoped to gauge landlord’s awareness of the fact fines for failing to maintain adequate electrical safety have risen from £5,000 to £20,000, but instead found a fifth - around 300,000 private landlords - still believed there were no fines at all. Added to this, many landlords did not know their insurance may be invalidated if they fail to follow their obligations.
The situation is a real concern as electrical accidents cause more than 350,000 serious injuries each year and cause more than half of all accidental house fires.
Tenants are most at risk – they are more likely to experience a serious electric shock than home owners and may be up to seven times more likely to experience a house fire.
Almost half of all landlords and tenants admitted they had no idea who was responsible for electrical safety and as a result crucial aspects are ignored.
The
ESChas produced a free guide for landlords on their electrical safety responsibilities, along with an online resource outlining recommended actions for landlords and tenants, to give clarity over responsibilities – both are available at
www.esc.org.uk/landlords.
A key recommendation is to download the
ESC’s free ‘Home Electrical Safety Checks’ smartphone app, which allows anyone to do a quick visual check to ensure a property is electrically safe.
A spokesperson from the Association of British Insurers said: “Whilst the specifics of each insurance policy will vary, all insurers will expect landlords to comply with any current laws or regulations in regard to electrical safety - failure to do so may result in voidance of their policy."
The
ESC’s free smartphone app ‘Home Electrical Safety Checks’ highlights potential dangers in each room and explains how to resolve simple problems or where they should be flagged to an electrician, also allowing users to find local registered electricians through the Electrical Safety Register.
The app can also be used by tenants to flag issues to landlords with confidence and is available for iPhone and Android.