Electrical safety checks should be mandatory for public housing after thousands of dangers in private rental homes were uncovered, a charity has said.
Mandatory five-year checks were introduced in the private rental sector in England in June 2020, mirroring an existing system in Scotland.
The charity Electrical Safety First said checks found 7,000 faults, including exposed power cables.
She wants the law to now also cover England’s four million social housing units.
The government said it was consulting on the issue.
Mandatory periodic security checks in private landlords’ homes in England began for new tenant properties in June 2020, followed by existing tenancies in April 2021.
Electrical Safety First filed freedom of information requests on the results of the first rounds of testing with the councils in October last year.
While the majority of landlords kept their properties in good condition, inspections had uncovered “shocking and dangerous” electrical conditions in some homes, it said.
These included cracked and damaged outlets, exposing tenants to the potential for electrocution, as well as exposed cords from lighting fixtures, making all properties vulnerable to fire.
A total of 7,000 electrical faults have been identified in more than a quarter of the municipal area since the legislation was introduced.
Neill Jenkins, a licensed electrician with Jenkins Electrical, said, “Most of the tests I run I find errors. Some properties I see have hidden dangers that pose a real risk.
“What I see in these premises is generally deteriorated wiring and accessories after years of exposure to a property that has not been checked. Landlords are generally very pleased that the issue has been resolved. It protects their tenants and the property.”
Electrical Safety First said similar faults were also found in public housing and called on the government to extend the law to those four million homes.
Some social housing landlords are already conducting electrical safety checks at intervals of between five and ten years, but there is no statutory timeframe in England.
Lesley Rudd, Chief Executive of Electrical Safety First, said: “Our findings demonstrate the importance of electrical safety audits in detecting faults and preventing damage from fire and helping to maintain the condition and safety of landlord properties.
“The millions of social renters in England deserve the same protection and it’s time to extend the five-yearly electrical safety checks to this housing sector.”
A spokeswoman for the Department for Leveling, Housing and Communities said: “Everyone has the right to a safe home. We are currently deliberating on how best to protect residents of social facilities from the dangers of poor electrical safety, including mandatory testing every five years, and our draft Social Housing Regulations bill includes a clause allowing us to legislate to that effect to enact.”
In Scotland there are already controls for the private rental sector and social housing. Inspections are required by law in Wales for both sectors from December.
Add Comment