Coventry landlord first to be fined under new electrical safety compliance legislation
A landlord in Coventry has become the first in England to be fined under the recently-introduced Electrical Safety Standards legislation.
Since July 1st 2021 all residential landlords in England must ensure that the electrical installations in the property are safe and are inspected and tested at least every five years. Wales is to follow suit on July 15th this year.
The inspection must be carried out by a “competent person” and an Electrical Safety Certificate issued, a copy of which must be made available to the appropriate authorities if required, and copy given to the tenants within 28 days of being completed.
Should the local authority request a copy of the report it must be provided within seven days.
£1,600 fine
Coventry City Council, which has chosen to save the landlord’s blushes by not naming him, has nevertheless fined him £1,600. After being given seven days to provide a certificate within this statutory time limit, he subsequently failed to provide it.
This was for a property on Stoney Stanton Road near the centre of Coventry (pictured).
The Council will now also be serving a remedial notice requiring further action to be taken.The EICR report should have been completed on or around the 1st April 2020 by a competent and suitably qualified electrician to show that the electrical installation in the property was safe and a copy provided to the tenant.
Adrian Chowns (pictured), Property Licensing and Housing Enforcement Manager for Coventry City Council says: “We believe this is the first time these powers have been used by a Local Authority in England.
“It highlights how Coventry City Council are taking a proactive approach to enforcement and clamping down on rogue landlords in its city.”
Read more about electrical safety compliance.
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