Landlords & ESC Regulations

A landlord in Swindon was recently fined over £8,000 for not ensuring that the four storey property he owned which housed seven bedsits was safe according to ESC regulations. This follows a number of similar fines affecting landlords who have not been correctly informed about safety regulations. Landlords have been warned about checking wiring faults after the Electrical Safety Council (ESC) found that a number of tenants across the UK had raised concerns to their landlords regarding the safety of their property. Of the tenants that complained about possible problems with wiring, smoke detectors and fire hazards, 20% of the landlords involved acted very slowly or did not commit to any action at all. This concern follows a spate of recent fines. One landlord in Swindon was fined £8,366 by environmental health after an inspection of his property. The four storey property housed seven bedsits and had smashed windows, incorrect fire doors and problems with broken and disconnected emergency lighting and smoke detectors. These issues were deemed by Swindon Council to pose a significant safety hazard to the tenants in the event of fire. The landlord was fined £3,000 for the breach of section 72 of the Housing Act 2004, then another £2,300 for a number of other offences under the Management of Houses in Multiple Occupation Regulations and ordered to pay £3,066 in costs. The Electrical Safety Council (ESC), reported that after a new study it was found that 1.7m private renters have been ignored when reporting electrical faults. The ESC were hoping to raise landlords awareness by notifying them of the rise in fines for failing to maintain adequate electrical safety, though after completing the study it became evident that around a fifth of UK landlords did not realise that there were any fines at all. This figure was particularly worrying when paired with the fact that almost half of all landlords and tenants were unaware of whose responsibility electrical safety was and as a result many problems were ignored. Further to this, many landlords were unaware that ignoring electrical safety guidelines could invalidate their insurance. “All landlords are urged to have a good understanding of electrical safety standards and to ensure that all appliances and installations checked at least every five years. Winkworth West End and Clerkenwell are experts in letting and managing rental property and we can provide you with information regarding compliance and your rights.” Matthew Higson – Head of Property Management For further information and help on electrical safety in your lettings property, please call our lettings team on 0207 467 5770.