- Privately rented homes to undergo 5 yearly electrical checks
- Thousands of private renters to be protected
- Tenants and landlords to be better protected from the risk of electrical fires
Landlords in Northern Ireland face new fines if they do not comply with new rules to ensure their properties are electrically safe, a charity is warning.
New laws, introduced from 1 April, will see better protections for people living in the private rental sector, mandating safety checks on the electrical installation of a property, such as the socket outlets, consumer unit and wiring, by a competent and qualified person at least once every five years.
The legislation, championed by consumer safety charity Electrical Safety First, will protect more than 100,000 privately rented homes[1] in Northern Ireland. This change offers stronger protection for tenants and properties from the hidden dangers of electrical shocks and fires.
Following the inspection, a report will be issued to the landlord. If remedial work is required to ensure the property is safe, a landlord will have 28 days to ensure this is carried out.
The introduction of the new law in Northern Ireland marks a significant safety milestone, resulting in all devolved nations across the United Kingdom now protecting people living in the private rental sector with five-yearly electrical safety checks in their homes
Lesley Rudd, chief executive of Electrical Safety First, said: “Whilst we know good landlords already do all they can to ensure their tenants and properties are safe, these new laws will require all properties within the private rented sector to have their electrical systems checked, and to ensure faults are rectified. Tenants and landlords can rest assured their home is safe from the hazards electrical faults can pose. Every tenant deserves to live in a safe home, and we are confident these new laws introduced by the Northern Ireland Executive will help in ensuring that is the case for thousands of renters.”
Evidence of safer homes:
Identical laws were introduced in England in 2022, following campaigning work from the charity after a fatal incident in 2009, where one mother was electrocuted, losing her life, after an electrical fault left her bathroom tap live.
One year on from their introduction in England, research by Electrical Safety First revealed thousands of faults were discovered and remedied because of the new laws, leading to safer homes.
The research showed nearly 7,000 electrical faults were uncovered through the new checks rolled out across 98 local authorities in England[2]. Faults ranged from the most severe hazards, classed as ‘C1 – Danger Present’, indicating that an immediate risk to the tenant’s safety is present, to C2, indication there is a ‘potential danger’.
Hazards that would fit into these categories include exposed live wiring, badly damaged electrical sockets and severe overheating of wiring that, if left undetected, would leave the occupiers at risk from electric shock or fire.
Deadline for compliance:
Under the news laws introduced in Northern Ireland all new private tenancies starting on or after 1 April 2025 will need to show evidence they have complied with the rules.
All new tenancies starting in private rented properties from 1 April onwards must have a certified electrical safety inspection of the hardwired electrical installation by this date.
Existing tenancies granted before 1 April 2025 have until 1 December 2025 to comply.
Fines for failure to comply:
Landlords are being warned failure to carry out their duties under the new regulations could result in fines and, in some cases, court proceedings.
A landlord who fails to comply with any of their duties under the regulations will be committing an offence.
Where councils believe that an offence has been committed, they may take the landlord to court for non-compliance (for which the maximum penalty is a Level 5 fine) or impose a fixed penalty notice.
Landlord guidance
Electrical Safety First has produced an extensive Northern Ireland Landlords’ Guide to support landlords in complying with the new rules.
The updated Guide covers advice on who landlords should employ to undertake the electrical check in their property, their obligations for undertaking remedial work, providing evidence of compliance to both councils and tenants, as well as other essential information for complying with the new regulations.
Landlords can download the advice here: https://www.electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk/ni
ENDS
[1] Source ONS: https://www.ons.gov.uk/aboutus/transparencyandgovernance/freedomofinformationfoi/numberofrentersintheuk#:~:text=Using%20data%20from%20Census%202021,in%202021%20in%20Northern%20Ireland.
[2] https://www.electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk/media-centre/press-releases/2022/06/how-safe-is-your-home-from-melted-wires-to-cracked-plug-sockets-new-law-sees-thousands-of-dangerous-electrical-faults-identified-in-privately-rented-homes-as-charity-calls-for-the-same-protection-for-social-renters/