Is it illegal to leave bare wires when selling?

Jazzking

Evening all,

Just wondered if someone could give me some quick advice - when selling a house is it illegal to leave light fittings bare (i.e. wire only, no ceiling rose or bulb attachment) or is this acceptable, but something I should factor into my offer when looking a house that has such 'problems'?

Obviously I would like to be satisfied that the electrics are sound, and presumably the lights would need to be able to accommodate a bulb for me to check this but is it a legal requirement for sellers to have things like this sorted before selling?

Hope someone can shed some light (sorry!) on this for me

Alex

Hunnymonster

I'd hazard that it's illegal to leave it unsafe.... and a bare wire sticking out of anywhere would be unsafe. At the very least if they are removing their tasteful 120 lamp chandelier, they should make the installation safe.

Mind you - my mum used to work for a building society and occasionally people would take the floorboards (as in the stuff covering the joists - not laminate) when they left a property..... which was always helpful to the people moving in.

italiastar

I would have thought so - in the least it's very stupid. Consult your solicitor - they should compile a list exactly of what is being left and not.

Lemoncurd

Not sure but when we bought our house recently there were live wires hanging out of the ensuite wall (they'd been living with them like that for two years!). The whole electrical installation was unsafe, our solicitor and the surveyor knew this and had copies of an electrical report we had done but didn't say that the seller was obliged to do anything.
I think if you were aware they were like that then the seller wouldn't be obliged to do anything however they wouldn't be able to remove light fittings after exchange and then just leave the bare wires hanging.

Happy_saver_4

I think this depends on what you are buying and the negotiations.

Perhaps you are buying a property for modernisation and if the electricity supply is disconnected there is no danger. You only create the danger when making a reconnection.

If the owner has maliciously removed the light fittings that is another matter. But, consider how much it will cost to possibly take legal action to recover the cost of 2nd hand light fittings . Normally such items are of little pecuniary value.

I suggest you just smile and think how cheap you must have bought the property for the owner to take such a vindictive attitude. Then fit the light fittings you want.

robnye

i have heard of light fittings and switches being removed.....

also door furniture (handles, locks etc) but never the floorboards itself.......

hopefulfooluk

Personally I would leave my property the way I would like to find my new property. It wouldn't be very nice moving all your stuff in somewhere with no lights, would it?