J Kirby Electrical provide our services across areas all over East and West Sussex which are popular areas for students due to great universities and ample accommodation available. We get regular enquires in search of an electrician in Bognor Regis for a whole range of enquiries which include enquires from landlords of student accommodation.
As a landlord of a student house, with regular changes to tenancies it’s important to keep on top of electrical safety checks in the property. Students today have a lot of electrical appliances which is just one reason why electrical faults could be more likely to happen in these types of properties. The majority of students will have a number of appliances including laptops, computers, playstations, hairdryers or straighteners. Whilst these are personal appliances and not the responsibility of the landlord the landlord could easily be found to be at fault if there is an issue with the plug socket being used!
If renting your property to students it’s important to determine if the property is student accommodation or an HMO. The rules state that if any more than 3 separate “Households” (a household is defined as an individual person, a couple, or a family) living in your property and sharing facilities, you should consider it to be an HMO. Rules for HMO’s are not the same so it’s important to determine the difference early on.
If your property is classed as a student house the standard landlord regulations around electrical safety testing will apply.
As a landlord of a student house the first thing to ensure you have in place is a valid EICR which must be renewed every 5 years. Due to the potential changes in tenancies make sure you have a few copies of this available as you have a duty to provide a copy of this to new tenants. An EICR checks for faults with plug sockets, light fittings, wires, fuse boxes and other permanent items connected to the electrics such as extractor fans and showers.
The tests and inspection will check that the electrical installations are not overloaded which could cause equipment to malfunction. The report will also highlight any defects that could cause fire hazards or electric shocks as well as inspecting the earthing to ensure the property is fit for use.
It’s important to remember that only fixed installations are checked during these tests so whilst an electric shower or an extractor fan will be included because they are considered part of the property, other “portable” appliances that a landlord may be providing will not be included. This is why landlords should also consider additional safety inspections such as PAT Testing to ensure the safety of any portable electrical items in the property such as kettles, toasters, microwaves to ensure the appliances provided are safe for use.
If you are unsure of your responsibilities as a landlord or are just in search of an electrician in Bognor Regis that you can trust give us a call today to discuss your needs and we will be happy to assist.
