The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020
| Year | 2020 |
2020 No. 312
Housing, England
The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020
Made 18th March 2020
Coming into force 1st June 2020
The Secretary of State, in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 122 and 123 of the Housing and Planning Act 20161and section 234 of, and paragraph 3 of Schedule 4 to, the Housing Act 20042makes the following Regulations.
In accordance with section 214(2) of the Housing and Planning Act 2016 and section 250(4) and (6) of the Housing Act 2004, a draft of this instrument was laid before Parliament and approved by a resolution of each House of Parliament.
PART 1
Introduction
Citation, commencement and application
1.—(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020.
(2) These Regulations come into force on 1st June 2020.
(3) These Regulations apply in England only to—
(a)
(a) all new specified tenancies from 1st July 2020; and
(b)
(b) all existing specified tenancies from 1st April 2021.
Interpretation
2. In these Regulations—
“authorised person” means a person authorised in writing by the local housing authority3for the purpose of taking remedial action under regulations 6 and 10;
“electrical installation” has the meaning given in regulation 2(1) of the Building Regulations 20104;
“electrical safety standards” means the standards for electrical installations in the eighteenth edition of the Wiring Regulations, published by the Institution of Engineering and Technology and the British Standards Institution as BS 7671: 20185;
“existing specified tenancy” means a specified tenancy which was granted before the coming into force of these Regulations;
“new specified tenancy” means a specified tenancy which is granted on or after the coming into force of these Regulations;
“qualified person” means a person competent to undertake the inspection and testing required under regulation 3(1) and any further investigative or remedial work in accordance with the electrical safety standards;
“remedial notice” means a notice served under regulation 4(1) of these Regulations;
“specified tenancy” means a tenancy6of residential premises in England which—
(a) grants one or more persons the right to occupy all or part of the premises as their only or main residence;
(b) provides for payment of rent (whether or not a market rent); and
(c) is not a tenancy of a description specified in Schedule 1 to these Regulations;
“urgent remedial action” means such action identified in a report under regulation 3(3) as is immediately necessary in order to remove the danger present and risk of injury.
PART 2
Duties of private landlords
Duties of private landlords in relation to electrical installations
3.—(1) A private landlord7who grants or intends to grant a specified tenancy must—
(a)
(a) ensure that the electrical safety standards are met during any period when the residential premises8are occupied under a specified tenancy;
(b)
(b) ensure every electrical installation in the residential premises is inspected and tested at regular intervals by a qualified person; and
(c)
(c) ensure the first inspection and testing is carried out—
(i) before the tenancy commences in relation to a new specified tenancy; or
(ii) by 1st April 2021 in relation to an existing specified tenancy.
(2) For the purposes of sub-paragraph (1)(b) “at regular intervals” means—
(a)
(a) at intervals of no more than 5 years; or
(b)
(b) where the most recent report under sub-paragraph (3)(a) requires such inspection and testing to be at intervals of less than 5 years, at the intervals specified in that report.
(3) Following the inspection and testing required under sub-paragraphs (1)(b) and (c) a private landlord must—
(a)
(a) obtain a report from the person conducting that inspection and test, which gives the results of the inspection and test and the date of the next inspection and test;
(b)
(b) supply a copy of that report to each existing tenant of the residential premises within 28 days of the inspection and test;
(c)
(c) supply a copy of that report to the local housing authority within 7 days of receiving a request in writing for it from that authority;
(d)
(d) retain a copy of that report until the next inspection and test is due and supply a copy to the person carrying out the next inspection and test; and
(e)
(e) supply a copy of the most recent report to—
(i) any new tenant of the specified tenancy to which the report relates before that tenant occupies those premises; and
(ii) any prospective tenant within 28 days of receiving a request in writing for it from that prospective tenant.
(4) Where a report under sub-paragraph (3)(a) indicates that a private landlord is or is potentially in breach of the duty under sub-paragraph (1)(a) and the report requires the private landlord to undertake further investigative or remedial work, the private landlord must ensure that further investigative or remedial work is carried out by a qualified person within—
(a)
(a) 28 days; or
(b)
(b) the period specified in the report if less than 28 days,
starting with the date of the inspection and testing.
(5) Where paragraph (4) applies, a private landlord must—
(a)
(a) obtain written confirmation from a qualified person that the further investigative or remedial work has been carried out and that—
(i) the electrical safety standards are met; or
(ii) further investigative or remedial work is required;
(b)
(b) supply that written confirmation, together with a copy of the report under sub-paragraph (3)(a) which required the further investigative or remedial work to each existing tenant of the residential premises within 28 days of completion of the further investigative or remedial work; and
(c)
(c) supply that written confirmation, together with a copy of the report under sub-paragraph (3)(a) which required the further investigative or remedial work to the local housing authority within 28 days of completion of the further investigative or remedial work.
(6) Where further investigative work is carried out in accordance with paragraph (4) and the outcome of that further investigative work is that further investigative or remedial work is required, the private landlord must repeat the steps in paragraphs (4) and (5) in respect of that further investigative or remedial work.
(7) For the purposes of sub-paragraph (3)(e)(ii) a person is a prospective tenant in relation to residential premises if that person—
(a)
(a) requests any information about the premises from the prospective landlord for the purpose of deciding whether to rent those premises;
(b)
(b) makes a request to view the premises for the purpose of deciding whether to rent those premises; or
(c)
(c) makes an offer, whether oral or written, to rent those premises.
PART 3
Remedial action
Duty of local housing authority to serve a remedial notice
4.—(1) Where a local housing authority has reasonable grounds to believe that, in relation to residential premises situated within its area, a private landlord is in breach of one or more of the duties under regulation 3(1)(a), (1)(b), (1)(c), (4) and (6), and the most recent report under regulation 3(3) does not indicate that urgent remedial action is required, the authority must serve a remedial notice on the private landlord.
(2) A remedial notice must—
(a)
(a) specify the premises to which the notice relates;
(b)
(b) specify the duty or duties that the local housing authority considers the private landlord has failed to comply with;
(c)
(c) specify the remedial action the local housing authority considers should be taken;
(d)
(d) require the private landlord to take that action within 28 days beginning with the day on which the notice is served;
(e)
(e) explain that the private landlord is entitled to make written representations against the notice within 21 days beginning with the day on which the notice is served;
(f)
(f) specify the person to whom, and the address (including if appropriate any email address) to which, any representations may be sent; and
(g)
(g) explain the effect of regulations 11 and 12, including the maximum financial penalty which a local housing authority may impose.
(3) The local housing authority must serve a remedial notice within 21 days beginning with the day on which the authority decides it has reasonable grounds under paragraph (1).
(4) The local housing authority must consider any representations made under paragraph (2).
(5) Where a private landlord makes written representations the remedial notice is suspended until the local housing authority has complied with paragraphs (4) and (6).
(6) The local housing authority must—
(a)
(a) inform the private landlord in writing of the outcome of the consideration under paragraph (4) within 7 days beginning with the day on which the period under sub-paragraph (2)(e) expires; and
(b)
(b) where the outcome of the consideration under paragraph (4) is to confirm the remedial notice, confirm that notice and inform the private landlord in writing that the remedial notice is confirmed and the suspension under paragraph (5) ceases to have effect.
(7) The local housing authority may withdraw the remedial notice at any time.
Duty of private landlord to comply with a remedial notice
5.—(1) Where a remedial notice is served on a private landlord, the private landlord must take the remedial action specified in the notice within—
(a)
(a) where no representations are made under regulation 4(2) and the remedial notice is not withdrawn, the period specified in regulation 4(2)(d); or
(b)
(b) where representations are made under regulation 4(2) and the outcome of...
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