- Was the electrical installation inspected and tested no more than 5 years ago or where the most recent inspection and test report requires inspection and testing to be at intervals of less than 5 years, within the interval specified in that report?
- Was the electrical installation inspected and tested against the 18th edition wiring regulations (as amended 2018)?
If the answer to both questions is yes, you do not need to have the installation inspected and tested yet. If the answer to either question is no, you will need to have the electrical installation inspected and tested before any tenancy starts on or after 1st July 2020 and for existing tenancies before 1st April 2021.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government guidance answers a similar question:
If an inspection took place and a satisfactory report was issued before the 18th edition of the Wiring Regulations came into force, but less than 5 years ago, will a landlord always need to have the property inspected again as soon as the Electrical Safety Regulations come into force?
Regulation 3 requires that landlords have the electrical installation inspected and tested at intervals of no longer than every 5 years. Electrical safety standards (the 18th edition of the Wiring Regulations) must be met throughout the period of that tenancy.
The 18th edition of the Wiring Regulations came into effect in 2019, so if a landlord already has a report for a property that was carried out after this date and has complied with all the other requirements of the Regulations, they won’t have to have another inspection for 5 years, provided the report does not state that the next inspection should take place sooner.
Further Reading
Electrical Safety Standards Regulations 2020 – In a Nutshell {Jungle Property Blog article}
Guide for landlords: electrical safety standards in the private rented sector {Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government guidance}
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