Discuss 8 flats that he rented out through an agent so as far as he was led to believe everything was done.. in the Periodic Inspection Reporting & Certification area at ElectriciansForums.net

Welcome to ElectriciansForums.net - The American Electrical Advice Forum
Head straight to the main forums to chat by click here:   American Electrical Advice Forum

Reaction score
95
hiya lads
now be gentle as i would like some guidence
one of my friends has 8 flats that he rented out through an agent so as far as he was led to believe everything was being done correctly. After a letter from one of his tenants through an organisation called frontine issues were brought to his attention.
1, no pat testing done (all his properties are let as non furnished totaly)
2, no gas safety certs (these were done within a day of him becoming aware)
3, no eicr`s for any of the properties
4, inadequate smoke detectors in properties (i rectified within a couple of days)
i know some might be thinking why but as far as he was aware the agent was taking care of this and deductions from his rent looked like this was getting done and he is seeking leagal advice on what he can do re agent as he is fuming and is concerned about his tenant safety
now for the question
the local council will only accept an eicr if done by a niceic or select spark ? but they will accept minor works and eic from me with a copy of my eic card.
i am a technician at a hospital and can do all testing and certification there but cant help out a friend
the first property in question was checked by a niceic spark and passed as satisfactory but after i went in and upgraded the smokes and heat detectors he wont be back as lighting wired in a cable i havent seen before rubber insulation on cored and hard pvc outer with no earth but he had the r1 + r2 readings on the eicr and showed as satisfactory but i found the cable crumbling
so i have for piece of mind till sorted out i have tested all his properties and am in the proscess of doing rectifications inc re wiring lighting circuits in a downstairs flat having to do in trunking plus bringing up to current standards upgrading earthing and replacing consumer units at his request
so back to my question why wont they accept an eicr from me but will accept an eic or minor works
 
I did reply yesterday, but looks like its not survived the transfer.
I see your in Scotland which have different building regulations, or interpretation of them.

There are others more knowledgeable than me regarding lets etc and LBC's. In England & Wales, think you would be on a hiding to nothing, not being registered with a scheme, rightly or wrongly. Anything else, is outside their comfort zone, and in the too difficult box.

As your friend needs an EICR for his flats have another electrician/company do the EICR, perhaps then you can do the work (issuing EIC or minor works). Others might fine tune that with experience, as I don't do EICR's.
 
The problem you have here is putting two mutually incompatible terms together: council and logic!
The council will see themselves as being efficient and safe by specifying only those electricians registered with an organisation can conduct EICRs without realising that they are just being uninformed and unprofessional.
Occasionally if you can convince them of your skill and qualifications to conduct EICRs (difficult as experience is key here, but C&G 2395 goes some way toward it) then you may be able to progress.
The difficulty is that you have a limited choice of schemes so it is easy for a council to think they have some meaning.
You could perhaps mention to them restrictive trade practices and anti competition law that prevent businesses from abusing a dominant market position but I am not sure how these apply in Scotland.
 
Is your friend leasing the properties to the Local Council?
If they are, then the Council can stipulate just about anything they want.
If however they are not and are just wanting to be registered or licensed under some Council scheme, then the Council cannot legally stipulate that an Inspector be registered with anyone.
Problem being, who will challenge the Council?
You for restrictive practices, or your friend for whatever reason?
 
hiya lads
i have my 2394 and 2395 as i need them for my place of work so i have the quals but as far as i can work out it will be someone within an office at the council with no knowledge of the job at hand thinking they know what they are doing and listening to scheme providers but i do find it wrong that they only accept 2 of the recognised schemes
i have spoken to an old work mate that is niceic reg and he has sudgested if i do the legwork he will come in to the jobs and for a reduced fee as i am doing the work and he is just taking readings and do the certs so problem fixed for the moment but i wont give up as dont see the issue as have the qualifications req and have the correct insurance for the work i am doing
 
You could point out to them, the schedule which landlords should follow if they are using an electrician who is not registered with a Scheme. I'll try to find it later and post a link.
That said, if their Landlord Registration scheme demands use of a Select/NIC registered electrician then there's not a lot you can do.
Assume this is Fife Council?
 

Reply to 8 flats that he rented out through an agent so as far as he was led to believe everything was done.. in the Periodic Inspection Reporting & Certification area at ElectriciansForums.net

OFFICIAL SPONSORS

Electrical Goods - Electrical Tools - Brand Names Electrician Courses Green Electrical Goods PCB Way Electrical Goods - Electrical Tools - Brand Names Pushfit Wire Connectors Electric Underfloor Heating Electrician Courses
These Official Forum Sponsors May Provide Discounts to Regular Forum Members - If you would like to sponsor us then CLICK HERE and post a thread with who you are, and we'll send you some stats etc
This website was designed, optimised and is hosted by Untold Media. Operating under the name Untold Media since 2001.
Back
Top
AdBlock Detected

We get it, advertisements are annoying!

Sure, ad-blocking software does a great job at blocking ads, but it also blocks useful features of our website. For the best site experience please disable your AdBlocker.

I've Disabled AdBlock