Are my electrics illegal?

acstokes

abby1234519, the electrics in the house you live in are subject to a recommended PIR (periodic inspection report) which is a report compiled by a qualified electrician and qualifies the safety and compliance of the electrical system. if memory serves, these are generally advised every 5 years in a rented property. This report will have any areas of non compliance on it amongst other things and ultimately qualifies the safety of your electrics. Any decent landlord should have a fairly recent PIR for the property - ie just before the current tennant moved in or within the last 5 years.

whilst these PIRs are not a legal requirement Should a tenant be injured as a result of a faulty electrical system, the landlord could be liable for prosecution and or a substantial fine.!

if you have any doubts, id recommend you ask your landlord for said PIR and if its not available, ask for one doing - they arent expensive.

MissMoneypenny

abby1234519 wrote: »

Could I ask her to get an electrical inspection? Or would I need to do this.

You can phone and ask your local council's Environmental Health Department, about your electrical concerns. They could come and inspect how safe the electics are and force your landlady to carry out any safety work on the electrics. In fact, your council can carry out a safety check of the entire rented property if you ask them.

It does sound like your landlady is running this property on a wing and and a prayer. I dread to think how she would get the finances if the boiler broke and needed replacing. Time to look for better maintianed property to move to, perhaps?

abby1234519

bungle4by4 wrote: »

why did you move into this house with its cheap kitchen and no sockets? as its rented, take full advantage and move.

Where I live in Leeds all the houses are back to backs with the bedrooms on different floors which wasn't suitable for me and the baby, it was the only one within a reasonable distance of my university and nursery that was suitable for us. I couldn't move further out as I already have a 5 mile walk to nursery then university and back again.

chris_m wrote: »

Provided the extension leads are good quality (i.e. not cheapies from a pound shop), are rated/marked for 13 Amps and the plug where they are plugged into a socket is fitted with a 13 Amp fuse, I can't see a problem TBH.

I would be wary about running a full 13 Amp load on a plug-in adapter block (a plug-in cube with 2 or 3 sockets on the top and/or sides) even if 13 Amp rated because all the power and, therefore, heat is contained in a small space but an extension lead with several sockets side by side in a line should be fine as there's more space for any heat to dissipate.

Well in that case I will just get another lead and plug the oven in to that if thats better. All my extensions are good ones with individual switches (if thats better!)

jamie11 wrote: »

Err! That's what smoke alarms are designed to do when the battery starts to get low. It's to remind you to change the battery.

Not when you replace it with a new battery twice and it still does it

acstokes wrote: »

abby1234519, the electrics in the house you live in are subject to a recommended PIR (periodic inspection report) which is a report compiled by a qualified electrician and qualifies the safety and compliance of the electrical system. if memory serves, these are generally advised every 5 years in a rented property. This report will have any areas of non compliance on it amongst other things and ultimately qualifies the safety of your electrics. Any decent landlord should have a fairly recent PIR for the property - ie just before the current tennant moved in or within the last 5 years.

whilst these PIRs are not a legal requirement Should a tenant be injured as a result of a faulty electrical system, the landlord could be liable for prosecution and or a substantial fine.!

if you have any doubts, id recommend you ask your landlord for said PIR and if its not available, ask for one doing - they arent expensive.

MissMoneypenny wrote: »

You can phone and ask your local council's Environmental Health Department, about your electrical concerns. They could come and inspect how safe the electics are and force your landlady to carry out any safety work on the electrics. In fact, your council can carry out a safety check of the entire rented property if you ask them.

It does sound like your landlady is running this property on a wing and and a prayer. I dread to think how she would get the finances if the boiler broke and needed replacing. Time to look for better maintianed property to move to, perhaps?

Thank you both, I will probably phone the council if thats a good option. I don't want to annoy her though, I hope she doesn't see it as 'backstabbing'
I have a year long tenancy, I am only half way through and can't really move out till 2013 when I graduate and move in with my other half. i can't afford the moving costs and this really was the only house I could find around here that was safe enough for me. By this I mean all the other houses had tiny stairwells, couldn't get up and down with a baby and they are all meant for multiple occupancy ie students.

Justicia

lynneinjapan wrote: »

If you're not happy with it, you could ask your LL to get an electrical safety report done (technically the relevant document is called a Periodic Inspection Report; there's no such thing as a landlord's electrical safety certificate)

acstokes wrote: »

abby1234519, the electrics in the house you live in are subject to a recommended PIR (periodic inspection report) which is a report compiled by a qualified electrician and qualifies the safety and compliance of the electrical system.

In fact, there is no longer a Periodic Inspection Report - it no longer exists (to give fairness however, it was only made extinct on Sunday!)

The form is an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR).

OP, if you pursue this and get an EICR, then this is fine.

acstokes

Justicia wrote: »

In fact, there is no longer a Periodic Inspection Report - it no longer exists (to give fairness however, it was only made extinct on Sunday!)

The form is an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR).

OP, if you pursue this and get an EICR, then this is fine.

Doh! i must do better :rotfl::beer:

lynneinjapan

Thanks Justicia & inexhomes for the update.
inexhomes, so are these standard industry rates, or just what your company charges?