NAPIT Delivers Electrical Safety Guidance to Landlords
NAPIT visited landlords in Cornwall last week to make sure they keep on top of the safety of electrical installations in their properties to avoid putting their tenants in unnecessary danger.
The presentation was part of an ongoing campaign by the organisation to raise awareness of guidance that is available to help landlords protect their properties and tenants. Over 3,500 landlords have received their advice since the start of 2017. NAPIT’s presentations showcase some of the best and worst landlord practice seen across the country, and explain the value of having properties regularly assessed by a registered competent electrical inspector.
NAPIT’s Business Relationship Director Ian Halton, who delivered the presentation, said "It’s become a mission of ours at NAPIT to make as many landlords as we can aware of the potential danger they could be putting their tenants in if they don’t keep on top of the electrical safety of their property. Hundreds of people across England are killed or injured every year because of problems with the wiring in their homes, and too many landlords still aren’t taking the recommended precautions to ensure their tenants aren’t at risk.
"We recommend that a full inspection of the electrical safety of a property, called an Electrical Installation Condition Report, should be carried out at least every five years by a registered, competent electrical inspector to provide peace of mind for landlords and tenants alike."
The Chair of the Cornwall Residential Landlords Association (CRLA), Ruth Clarke, said "Ian has spoken to other landlord associations in Truro and made a great impression with the level and scope of his knowledge and expertise. The CRLA General meeting on 8 May was no exception. Members were given a clear message of what is needed to keep their properties and tenants safe and what to expect in the future. We would have no hesitation in inviting Ian back in the future."
Government statistics show that 7,822 fires were caused by electrical distribution systems in 2016/17, leading to 496 injuries or fatalities. Risks to tenants in privately rented accommodation are heightened by the fact that the sector as a whole has a poor safety record; 28% of homes in the sector failed to reach the Government’s Decent Homes Standard in 2015, 10% more than in the owner-occupied sector, and more than double the number found in the social rented sector.
Documents available on the Home Safety Guidance website provide an at-a-glance list of measures landlords are legally obliged to take to keep their property safe. The checklists can be downloaded for free from www.homesafetyguidance.co.uk. To find a NAPIT registered, competent electrical inspector in your area, search at www.napit.org.uk.
Article Published:
14 June 2018
landlordsnapitelectrical safety