I have been asked to do any minor repairs of which are mainly earths not connected. Its just this one I cannot do without running a single earth along lovely exposed wooden beams to the next known good spot.
Hmmm I see your difficulty. Your only options are to run it surface and try to disguise it or open up 2" holes either side of the joist/rafter just enough to get a drill and fish wires/draw tape in. By judicious drilling and fishing you WILL be able to run the earth to where it needs to be. Not a decorator but am sure with a decent plasterer/decorator it could be reinstated successfully.
With exposed beams I find myself for some reason thinking of unsheathed pyro which needn't look that intrusive once the sheath has lost its just fitted glare.
He says he will state in a 'rental contract' that no one is to attempt to go up there because of the height of fitting and he will arrange electrician.
Aha so he's invoking section 417.1 basic protection by placing out of reach. So we must assume that he is providing electrical training to all his tenants such that they can be deemed "...instructed or skilled persons..." (reg. 410.3.5)
Doubt that that would stop anyone and similarly don't think it will wash in front of a court. He can't predict the future but the regs do attempt to mitigate the consequences. What if, for whatever reason, (dispute with a future tenant maybe) he is reluctant to indulge the tenant's requests to "get the sodding lights fixed as they are tripping out the whole house!" There's nothing to stop them having a dabble. Matey boy gets a belt at the top of his double extension and ....ner-ner, ner-ner.
If he wants to play fast and loose with his accreditation then he's a 24carat twot.
So whether I like it or not he will rent it out. What he does with the periodic and recommendations I don't know. I will leave it as a 'Cat 1 fail' of course and see what happens.
Gotta be a fail/reqs urgent attention. Nothing more that can be done if he's got that attitude short of leaving the breaker off just to make the point.
Not a landlord myself but pretty sure his fire/building & contents insurance would be compromised. There is a large body of law governing domestic lets and those which are applicable depend on whether one is a private individual letting one prop or letting agent or Reg'd social landlord etc etc yahda yahda...l don't think there's a statutory requirement to have rented property formally inspected for electrical safety at set periods (gonna double check that actually), BUT, landlords are legally required to provide a dwelling that is safe. The laws affecting them include:
* The Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994
* The Plugs and Sockets (Safety) Regulations 1994
* The Consumer Protection Act 1987
* The Low Voltage Electrical Equipment Regulations 1989
* The General Product Safety Regulations 1994.
Without a P.I.R. how's he going to prove to a loss adjuster or jury, in the event of a fire, that his installation was IN FACT safe and wasn't the cause of the damage/fatality? Bloke's a kn0b in my opinion. Scribble the following down and wave it under his nose...
# A fine of £5,000 per item not complying
# Six month's imprisonment
# Possible manslaughter charges in the event of deaths
# The Tenant may also sue him for civil damages
# Your property insurance may (almost certainly will) be invalidated
Oh I forgot the possible additional charge of negligence if a fault is reported that he is aware of and yet refuses to repair.
If it comes to the worst case (stiff tenant electrocuted by HIS PROPERTY) then an up to date P.I.R. allows him to pursue a legitimate defence of "due diligence" his obligations having been fulfilled. Not something I'd want to flip a coin on in my opinion.