New rules to protect private renters came into force this month and landlords risk facing fines worth over £2,500 if they fail to follow them. The new laws in Northern Ireland mandate landlords to conduct safety checks on the electrical installation of a property, such as the socket outlets, consumer unit and wiring, by a competent and qualified person at least once every five years.
Following the inspection, a report will be issued to the landlord. If remedial work is required to ensure the property is safe, a landlord will have 28 days to ensure this is carried out.
The legislation – championed by consumer safety charity Electrical Safety First – hopes to offer stronger protection for tenants and properties from the hidden dangers of electrical shocks and fires. The new rules are expected to protect over 100,000 renters in the country.
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Lesley Rudd, chief executive of Electrical Safety First, said: “Whilst we know good landlords already do all they can to ensure their tenants and properties are safe, these new laws will require all properties within the private rented sector to have their electrical systems checked, and to ensure faults are rectified.
“Tenants and landlords can rest assured their home is safe from the hazards electrical faults can pose. Every tenant deserves to live in a safe home, and we are confident these new laws introduced by the Northern Ireland Executive will help in ensuring that is the case for thousands of renters.”
Similar laws were introduced in England in 2022, following campaigning work from the charity after a fatal incident in 2009, where one mother was electrocuted, losing her life, after an electrical fault left her bathroom tap live.
One year after their introduction in England, research by Electrical Safety First revealed that thousands of faults were discovered and remedied because of the new laws – leading to safer homes.
The research showed that nearly 7,000 electrical faults were uncovered through the new checks rolled out across 98 local authorities in England. According to the data, faults ranged from the most severe hazards – classed as “C1 Danger Present” – which indicates that an immediate risk to the tenant’s safety is present – to C2, which indicates there is a “potential danger”.
Hazards that fit into these categories include exposed live wiring, badly damaged electrical sockets and severe overheating of wiring that, if left undetected, would leave the occupiers at risk from electric shock or fire.
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Under the new laws, all new private tenancies starting on or after April 1, 2025, will need to show evidence of compliance with the rules. All new tenancies starting in private rented properties from April 1, onwards must also have a certified electrical safety inspection of the hardwired electrical installation by this date. Existing tenancies starting before April have until December, 1 to comply.
If a landlord fails to comply with the new laws could face fines and could potentially be taken to court as under the regulations they will be committing an offence.
Where councils believe that an offence has been committed, they may take the landlord to court for non-compliance – for which the maximum penalty is a Level five fine – or impose a fixed penalty notice. Level 5 fines are unlimited – so they could potentially be worth thousands. A level 4 fine sits at £2,500.
Landlords affected by the new laws can access a comprehensive guide detailing the new rules through Electrical Safety First’s website. The updated Guide covers advice on who landlords should employ to undertake the electrical check in their property, their obligations for undertaking remedial work, providing evidence of compliance to both councils and tenants, as well as other essential information for complying with the new regulations.
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