Why an Electrical Certificate is required in the UK for landlords?

Renting and receiving your property is not all it takes to be a landlord. There are certain responsibilities and obligations that you must know. One is about the safety of the electrical equipment and installation on your property. This is why obtaining an Electrical Certificate issued by a professional and accredited electrician is essential. As a homeowner, it is your responsibility to have periodic checks on your property carried out to ensure that all electrical installations meet the specified standard. At the end of this inspection you will receive an electrical installation condition report (EICR).

In the event that you need repairs, redesign or modification of your electrical installation, this information is included in the EICR report and it is your responsibility to see that these repairs or adjustments are being made. At the end of the repair you will receive an electrical safety certificate to prove that the work has been carried out in accordance with the approved UK safety standards for electrical installation and repairs. This certificate is also issued after a new electrical design or installation.

Meaning of the electrical safety certificate

The law requiring all electrical work to be carried out in residential buildings, offices and commercial buildings in the UK that meet a certain standard was passed in January 2005. This standard is called the BS7671 standard and the conformity is usually verified by the BS7671 certificate or electrical certificate. This standard for electrical equipment and installation is designed to protect homeowners, tenants, and people working in offices and commercial buildings against accidents and incidents that may occur as a result of poor electrical work or low-grade electrical materials.

The electrical certificate London, also known as the BS7671 certificate, is issued at the end of a new electrical project or upon the completion of electrical repairs to your property. This certificate will demonstrate that the work has been done by a competent and qualified electrician and that the completed project has been inspected and tested in accordance with BS7671 guidelines and wiring rules. What this certificate essentially does is to provide proof that the task has been performed in accordance with the approved standard for that type of task. It does not matter whether it concerns a new installation, small or large repairs, redesign, adjustment or adjustment. As long as it involved installing or modifying an existing electrical installation, you must receive an electrical safety certificate or a BS7671 certificate.

Why do you need an electrical safety certificate?

Apart from the fact that the electrical work carried out on your home is in accordance with the approved standard, a BS7671 certificate is also an essential part of your home’s documentation. For example, if you ever decide to sell your property, the buyer will certainly ask you to see the certificate of electrical safety. If you cannot offer this, you may find it very difficult to sell your property. In addition, you run the risk of losing your insurance cover in the event of an electrical accident or fire at your home if you do not have this certificate.

Why you cannot claim insurance for the damage?

In short, no insurance company will cover your losses if you do not present this document, because it implies that your electrical installation was never properly done in the first place. In addition, you run the risk of legal prosecution in the event of an electrical fire or accident, because you are accused of endangering the lives of people by using a non-qualified electrician and substandard materials for your electrical installations. For this reason, it is vital that all electrical work on your property is performed by a qualified person. It is only a qualified person who can perform a professional task, inspect, test and verify and then issue a safety certificate.

As long as you have an electrical certificate, you have the right to make a formal complaint to one of the regulatory authorities such as NICEIC, ELECSA or NAPIT in the event that the electrical work on your property does not meet the required standard or results in an incident. You can also use this certificate to submit a claim to your insurance company if the work does not later meet the current building regulations. From this you can see that the EICR report is not only a legislator or a piece of legislation, but actually an insurance for the safety of your property and the people who live and work there.