EIC report requested over 28 days ago

georgie_p

As privately rented tenants, we requested a copy of the EIC (Electrical Safety Inspection) report on 6th April. The agent responded confirming that they would send a copy of the report but haven't sent it. According to the government website, this should be provided within 28 days of the request otherwise they are in breach of the guidelines and could face up to a £30,000 fine. Are they in breach of the tenancy agreement? What can we do?

anselld

They are not in breach of the tenancy agreement, they are in breach of the law.  Enforcement lies with the Local Council.

What is the real issue?  Are you concerned about safety of the electrics?

georgie_p

anselld said:

They are not in breach of the tenancy agreement, they are in breach of the law.  Enforcement lies with the Local Council.

What is the real issue?  Are you concerned about safety of the electrics?

The EIC has been completed and remedial works have been done, but they have not provided a copy of the report when requested. It was requested on 6th April. The agents have been a nightmare during this tenancy.

moneysavinghero

How long have you been in the property? Was the inspection done while you were there. Actually you shouldn't have needed to request the report - you should  have been sent it within 28 days of the test. It's only prospective tenants that need to request it.

What are you looking to achieve? Do you just want the piece of mind of the test result, or are you looking for something else?

anselld

georgie_p said:

anselld said:

They are not in breach of the tenancy agreement, they are in breach of the law.  Enforcement lies with the Local Council.

What is the real issue?  Are you concerned about safety of the electrics?

The EIC has been completed and remedial works have been done, but they have not provided a copy of the report when requested. It was requested on 6th April. The agents have been a nightmare during this tenancy.

You are not really going to make anything stick then.  If you report them to the Council, and if the Council can be bothered to do anything, they will just produce the report.  There really is nothing to be gained by you having the piece of paper if you already know all the remedial work has been done and the system is satisfactory.

georgie_p

moneysavinghero said:

How long have you been in the property? Was the inspection done while you were there. Actually you shouldn't have needed to request the report - you should  have been sent it within 28 days of the test. It's only prospective tenants that need to request it.

What are you looking to achieve? Do you just want the piece of mind of the test result, or are you looking for something else?

We have a complaint with the Property Ombudsman due to how poorly we've been treated. We were never supplied with a "how to rent" pack when we moved in which would have contained emergency contact details. When there was a leak and water coming through the ceiling through a light fixture on a Sunday, we had no one to contact. Thankfully our neighbours had a card with the landlord's details on and it was just by chance we were able to contact them for them to send someone out to sort the problem. If our neighbour hadn't of had those details, we would have been screwed. In all honesty, this is just another failing on their behalf and we'd like to call them out on it. This whole tenancy has been a shambles.

anselld

"How to rent" if you are refering to the government booklet does not contain those details.  Yes it is mandatory, but it is just more paperwork, it will not help you out in a plumbing emergency.  To be fair, for most tenants just like owner occupiers Sunday is either going to be self help, eg find the stopcock or phone an emergency plumber.   There is no legal requirement to provide a 24hour hotline for repairs. 

Property Ombudsman seems OTT unless you have a string of other complaints.  You are just making yourself unpopular with the L/LA.

georgie_p

anselld said:

"How to rent" if you are refering to the government booklet does not contain those details.  Yes it is mandatory, but it is just more paperwork, it will not help you out in a plumbing emergency.  To be fair, for most tenants just like owner occupiers Sunday is either going to be self help, eg find the stopcock or phone an emergency plumber.   There is no legal requirement to provide a 24hour hotline for repairs. 

Property Ombudsman seems OTT unless you have a string of other complaints.  You are just making yourself unpopular with the L/LA.

There's a long list of complaints, along with the letting agent admitting in their complaint resolution letter multiple instances where they haven't looked after us correctly. They have confirmed that their How To Rent pack would have contained their emergency numbers, too. We have just bought a property, so I don't really care whether we are making ourselves unpopular, in the nicest possible way.

anselld

georgie_p said:

anselld said:

"How to rent" if you are refering to the government booklet does not contain those details.  Yes it is mandatory, but it is just more paperwork, it will not help you out in a plumbing emergency.  To be fair, for most tenants just like owner occupiers Sunday is either going to be self help, eg find the stopcock or phone an emergency plumber.   There is no legal requirement to provide a 24hour hotline for repairs. 

Property Ombudsman seems OTT unless you have a string of other complaints.  You are just making yourself unpopular with the L/LA.

There's a long list of complaints, along with the letting agent admitting in their complaint resolution letter multiple instances where they haven't looked after us correctly. They have confirmed that their How To Rent pack would have contained their emergency numbers, too. We have just bought a property, so I don't really care whether we are making ourselves unpopular, in the nicest possible way.

Fair enough, sounds like you already have it covered then.