New regulations
The Electrical Safety Standards for Private Tenancies Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2024
In 2024, the Northern Ireland Executive introduced The Electrical Safety Standards for Private Tenancies Regulations, with the aim of ensuring the safety and well-being of tenants by mandating rigorous electrical safety checks in private rental properties.
Five-yearly electrical safety checks
The regulations mean that private landlords in Northern Ireland will be required to have the electrical installation in their rental properties checked by a qualified electrician to ensure that they are safe.
Key dates:
- From April 1 2025, electrical installations must be inspected and tested prior to the start of a new tenancy.
- From 1 December 2025, checks must be carried out on any existing tenancies.
These checks must then be carried out on a five-yearly basis (or more frequently if specified in the electrical installation condition report (EICR). Find out more about an EICR here.
A copy of the most recent EICR must be:
- Provided to tenants within 28 days of receiving the report.
- Provided to new tenants before they move into the property.
- Provided to prospective tenants within 28 days of request.
- Provided to the local council within seven days, if requested.
- Retained until the next inspection is due and supply a copy to the qualified person carrying out the next inspection and test.
If the inspection reveals any action that needs to be taken, this remedial work must be carried out within 28 days (or less if specified in the report).
As the landlord, it is your ongoing duty to ensure the property is safe.
The landlord must coordinate with the tenant to schedule a convenient time and date for the EICR. If the inspection reveals the need for remedial work, the landlord and tenant should also agree on a suitable time and date for these repairs to be carried out. A landlord should maintain records demonstrating that all reasonable efforts have been made to access the property.
A landlord is also responsible for making sure that the person who completes the check is suitably qualified.[1]Using an electrician or firm that is registered with a recognised electrical trade body (such as NICEIC and NAPIT) will give you confidence that this has been achieved. Find a registered electrician here.
If a landlord fails to adhere to the electrical safety regulations or provide proof of compliance, the local council is empowered to enforce legal action.
Full details of the legislation for Northern Ireland can be found here.
For information about our wider work in Northern Ireland, click here.
[1]A qualified person is defined in the Regulations as “a person competent to undertake the inspection and testing required by Regulation 3(1) and any further investigative or remedial work in accordance with electrical safety standards.”