With buy-to-let remaining a popular investment strategy, at MS Electrical we thought it would be helpful to summarise the tell-tale signs of inadequate and even unsafe electrical installations. As a landlord, there’s a duty of care to ensure that the property you’re letting is safely wired and that, therefore, your tenants aren’t at risk. Before you let your property, we’d urge you to carry out a thorough inspection to ensure that none of these potentially hazardous faults is present:
- A lack of power sockets in any room, necessitating the use of multiple extension leads and thus increasing the risk of fire due to overloading the circuit
- Power sockets in bathrooms, near sinks, wash basins or any other source of water – these must be disconnected and removed immediately
- Wall switches for lights or showers in bathrooms – these must be pull cord only
- Unprotected surface-mounted cables – a real hazard and a potential cause of electric shock
- Taped joints and exposed or loose wiring – incredibly dangerous and another possible source of electric shock
- Charring around power sockets or sparking from light switches – a sure sign of poor wiring and/or wear and tear
- Frequent fusing of a power or lighting circuit – a potential fire risk and an indication of problems with the wiring
- Additional sockets running off existing sockets or light fittings – very hazardous
- Lack of earthing to water pipes under sinks, wash basins and baths – water and electricity certainly do not mix!
- Lack of smoke detectors – these are a legal requirement for any let property
Aside from ensuring that these faults are eliminated, it’s also critical to remember that PAT testing any appliances provided by a landlord within a rental property is also a legal requirement, and that it’s highly recommended to carry out a fixed installation (fuse box) test every five years.
If you do spot one or more of the issues we mention above, or wish to book an appointment for PAT testing or fixed wire testing in Cambridge, Ely or Newmarket, please do give us a call on 01223 850301 / 01353 665106 – we’re always on hand to keep your electrical safety in check.