Mandatory EICRs in Rental Properties - 1 year or 5 years

[Spazz]

Please post your comments on here - state if you think EICRs should be done every year or 5 years.
Also please state your reason behind your choice - please don't put money!, profit for us, cost to landlords etc!

I will put this forward to Parliament in favor of which one is considered best by the experts in the field (us)

Please sticky this as well please

 

[UNG]

My point at the start of this farse of a thread. Why should any trade have the right to legalised robbery.

There's been a lot of fine words extoling the safety aspect, safety? it's easy money this little scam is aimed at!

The gas people have been doing similar for years although there are more potential dangers with gas burning appliances IMO

An electrical installation that has not been meddled with has far less problem potential and a landlord inventory type visual check against an as fitted / last tested layout sheet would probably suffice to check for additions or alterations

 

[Geoffsd]

I agree with the theory of mini EICR's.

What is a mini EICR?

If a new installation has been installed properly, a full circuit board schedule and the original installation cert available, a mini EICR would be perfect...

Surely, more relevant on installations that have NOT been installed properly and ones withOUT paperwork.

check for broken fittings etc

I suspect the landlord or tenant could do that themselves.

 

[vjsmarwick]

I was just going to jump in and say any landlord worth his salt would at least have a good walk around his property and check for things himself so a visual check would be pointless and if the landlord didn't want to have the place tested he wouldn't call a sparky so how would this be policed ? I know I do maintaining of four holiday homes and as soon as there is anything wrong I get a call but I know not all are like this but other than having someone drive around asking to see test papers I don't see how it will work like standing peeing in a face wind if you ask me

 

[Spazz]

The only way it will work is if this landlord licencing scheme (that the UK government are talking about) comes into force.
This will mean that every rental property will have to have a licence before it can be rented out - part of this will be a up-to-date EICR and Gas Cert on file. No Certs no licence.

Of course this licence scheme is only in the early stages but if it if it goes ahead then this would be the only way to police it!

 

[Plonker 3]

But what about all the landlords that don't join but still rent out? A bit like the electricians who do notifiable work but don't notify it?

In practice it is a good idea, but in theory it would never work.

 

[trev]

But what about all the landlords that don't join but still rent out? A bit like the electricians who do notifiable work but don't notify it?

Plus the unscrupulous ones who do join the scheme to give the appearance of being a nice caring honest landlord will just get some cowboy to issue them a drive by clean bill of health. Nic it's never going to work mate, it might be time to let this die a natural death

 

[Knobhead]

Could do with it being taken out of the "Sticky" section and left to die a natural....

 

[Spazz]

I stopped running this once I received the reply from the Welsh Minister.
"I am 100% behind you but installing RCDs and requiring EICRs will cost the landlord and I cant put that on them when this country is in the financial situation it is"

If they bring in the licence scheme - it will be mandatory to register - there will be no choice. The council can pick up what houses are for rental by checking the council tax register - easy! There will be no way out of it.
It will be like with food places - they must register - end of!

Like said about I am not following this anymore, it is on a back burner till this licence scheme comes into force (if it goes ahead) - I am nothing to do with this licence scheme by the way - this is being headed up by Parliament

 

[trev]

It's mandatory to register with a CPS if carrying out notifiable works or notify LABC and pay a fee. Does Tommy down the pub who knows what he's doing do it? No, and what happens? Nothing
Houses get bought and sold on a daily basis, do you propose that cash strapped councils employ someone to carry out land registry searches to confirm who owns what?
There are any amount of unregistered food places, you see them every day parked up in lay bys. Admittedly most are registered and policed but what happens to the ones which are not interested in going down the legal route? Nothing.

 

[Knobhead]

I stick by my original statement. This has nothing to do with safety, someone saw a nice little earner.

 

[Plonker 3]

I stick by my original statement. This has nothing to do with safety, someone saw a nice little earner.

Exactly the same as Part P, but because it affected a MP the law was introduced.

 

[Knobhead]

That’ll keep the MP’s out of it then. If an MP’s little darling gets fried, daddy would most likely be the landlord.

 

[TIGGERTOM13]

The frequency of tests should be recommended by the person carrying out the inspection. If it was aceptable and not much sign of wear and tear of accessories then a five year inpection would be fine. Normally it is also change of tennancy but if the landlord has a maintence record and nothing has altered then a visual should be fine.If the install tests ok but you think it should be tested in one year or two years etc then that would be your recommended date of inspection.

 

[BigAndyB]

The problem is the landlord and or their money grabbing agents.
I attended a rented property to carry out a EICR. The tenant had by passed the meter for his flat in a communal riser. Hed'd pulled the main fuse put in a Henley block, hey presto free lecky!. EON attended the building found this, removed the main fuse, the Henley block and the meter, as he was no in they wrote to him. I can see the sense, they wont reconnect until the installation was proved safe, that's fair. He may have had some ganja farm in his one bed flat! The letting agent said they would withhold his deposit if the electric was not connected when he moved out.
Check this out, this is a property he's been in for 2 years, oh and they reckon its been previously tested and passed!

View attachment 15412

View attachment 15413
View attachment 15414

These MCB's are about 2 years old! There was a bit of tape covering the bus-bar!
Double socket less that 350mm above the hob.
Standard pendant in bathroom.
As for the cooker socket, half covered by a cupboard a new cooker socket had been installed surface by the old one, but was there only to provide a 13 amp plug that was usable, but had was broken front!

Never seen anything like this ever!
I took pity on the guy, as the property was dead, i did a visual inspection - don't take a genius to condemn it.

How can we tighten the rules on testing, if no one follows them??

 

[Spazz]

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