EICRs and LANDLORDS

[marconi]

Rather than add to 'Thoughts on recommendation' I thought it better to begin a new one.

I am a landlord in London. I think it should be mandatory for an in-date EICR whenever a new tenant takes up a lease and of course after electrical works. I present to my tenants both the EICR and Gas Safety certificate in an information pack. I also tell my insurance company and letting agent and send them a copy of both. For me it is a question of discharging my duty of care responsibilities. I know several good landlords who follow suit.

I always use the same electrician - not a friend, friend of a friend, etcetera - completely independent of me and I have checked his qualifications. This way he knows my properties and remarkably he seems to be able to remember even the make of CU - or does he look up the last inspection? I send him an email to arrange the EICR which he acknowledges so I have a record of the formal request for an EICR. I pay him up front in cash - (a cheque could be cancelled) - and he gives me his bill with the EICR, VAT inc, and marked 'paid in full' and referring to the EICR form serial number dated. I leave him alone to do the EICR and he either leaves the EICR in the flat or posts it to me. I then read it, discuss with him if necessary and arrange any remedials, etcetera.

 

[Octopus]

Rather than add to 'Thoughts on recommendation' I thought it better to begin a new one.

I am a landlord in London. I think it should be mandatory for an in-date EICR whenever a new tenant takes up a lease and of course after electrical works. I present to my tenants both the EICR and Gas Safety certificate in an information pack. I also tell my insurance company and letting agent and send them a copy of both. For me it is a question of discharging my duty of care responsibilities. I know several good landlords who follow suit.

I always use the same electrician - not a friend, friend of a friend, etcetera - completely independent of me and I have checked his qualifications. This way he knows my properties and remarkably he seems to be able to remember even the make of CU - or does he look up the last inspection? I send him an email to arrange the EICR which he acknowledges so I have a record of the formal request for an EICR. I pay him up front in cash - (a cheque could be cancelled) - and he gives me his bill with the EICR, VAT inc, and marked 'paid in full' and referring to the EICR form serial number dated. I leave him alone to do the EICR and he either leaves the EICR in the flat or posts it to me. I then read it, discuss with him if necessary and arrange any remedials, etcetera.

My thoughts:

A mandatory EICR would render a large number of them worthless as its a bit like PAT testing - the prices have been driven down so far its difficult for a "professional" to do a job properly.

An EICR shouldn't be issued after electrical work - it should be a MWC or and EIC.

 

[marconi]

My thoughts:

A mandatory EICR would render a large number of them worthless as its a bit like PAT testing - the prices have been driven down so far its difficult for a "professional" to do a job properly.

An EICR shouldn't be issued after electrical work - it should be a MWC or and EIC.

Thank you for your corrections.

All I can say in my case is I have employed a professional - by my estimation anyway - and he charges £130 plus VAT. For a one bed flat he spends between 2-3 hours. 5 final circuits - cooker, lights, immersion, ring, shower. He brings some impressive looking test equipment not available in my day. I can tell he opens up fittings such as sockets and switches for example because I now always paint after he has been to cover any disturbance he might have caused to the decor. And the EICR has detail and comments on which I take as evidence he has been thorough as is reasonably possible.

I watched a TV programme on rogue landlords and in it the reporter said there are many tenants who are frightened to make a fuss for fear of being turfed out. One woman noticed she was receiving electric shocks off the wall when she was under the electric shower (no alternative bath to use). The landlord was slow to react. Not satisfactory at all.

 

[Octopus]

Just do a search on here and see how little people do EICR's for.

Madness

My minimum charge is £135.00 for a small flat - £225 for a "family" house - more for bigger and/or outbuildings and garden electrics.

 

[telectrix]

Just do a search on here and see how little people do EICR's for.

Madness

My minimum charge is £135.00 for a small flat - £225 for a "family" house - more for bigger and/or outbuildings and garden electrics.

bang on the money there. i'm slightly cheaper, but being 68 with a few quid pension, i can afford to be. :boxing_smiley:

 

[Farmelectrics]

pity all landlords are not like your good self

 

[marconi]

pity all landlords are not like your good self

One of the key things for me is avoiding 'he who pays the piper calls the tune': see he who pays the piper calls the tune. Meaning in the Cambridge English Dictionary

I think something akin to my scheme, if demanded by every electrician doing an EICR, would generate the auditable paperwork to hold landlords to account and allow electricians to discharge their professional duty without fear. I'd like electricians to send the worst EICRs to the council's building inspector so that dangerous or potentially dangerous wiring which is discovered cannot be ignored by the landlord. The H&S law can then be applied. Look at uproar recently when the travel agent failed to ensure proper gas safety in Greece.

There are boroughs in London now demanding landlords to be certified and to meet a standard and do certain things to avoid tenants 'suffering' and being put in harms way. Insurance companies offering policies to landlords should require an in-date EICR (and gas safety). Interestingly, fire safety is explicit - smoke alarms, CO detectors, safe means of escape, fire doors...It should be the same for the potential sources of fire ignition and personal harm - a prevalent one being electricity and its effects.

I have had a couple of glasses of wine - you get the sense of what I mean.

 

[Octopus]

One of the key things for me is avoiding 'he who pays the piper calls the tune': see he who pays the piper calls the tune. Meaning in the Cambridge English Dictionary

I think something akin to my scheme, if demanded by every electrician doing an EICR, would generate the auditable paperwork to hold landlords to account and allow electricians to discharge their professional duty without fear. I'd like electricians to send the worst EICRs to the council's building inspector so that dangerous or potentially dangerous wiring which is discovered cannot be ignored by the landlord. The H&S law can then be applied. Look at uproar recently when the travel agent failed to ensure proper gas safety in Greece.

There are boroughs in London now demanding landlords to be certified and to meet a standard and do certain things to avoid tenants 'suffering' and being put in harms way. Insurance companies offering policies to landlords should require an in-date EICR (and gas safety). Interestingly, fire safety is explicit - smoke alarms, CO detectors, safe means of escape, fire doors...It should be the same for the potential sources of fire ignition and personal harm - a prevalent one being electricity and its effects.

I have had a couple of glasses of wine - you get the sense of what I mean.

Nice idea but I'm not sure they would be interested.

Trading standards may be a better approach if the reports are so crxp

 

[marconi]

Nice idea but I'm not sure they would be interested.

Trading standards may be a better approach if the reports are so crxp

An astute remark on what I wrote. I had assumed professional conduct.

I meant by 'worst EICRs be sent to the Council...' those that reported the wiring/installation as seriously deficient - no deficiency in the way it was done by the electrician.

So, yes, those EICRs that are 'flimsy' and lazily done to the trading standards office.

 

[Merv]

Are you suggesting that a perfectly safe and sound property can't be let to a new tenant until a fresh EICR has been generated?

How ridiculous!
This sounds like a cracking good little earner for the electrical trade, but a completely unnecessary and over the top pain in the neck for everyone else concerned.

Best of luck with that one, but it doesn't take much thought to see through the true motive behind the idea.

 

[marconi]

Are you suggesting that a perfectly safe and sound property can't be let to a new tenant until a fresh EICR has been generated?

How ridiculous!
This sounds like a cracking good little earner for the electrical trade, but a completely unnecessary and over the top pain in the neck for everyone else concerned.

Best of luck with that one, but it doesn't take much thought to see through the true motive behind the idea.

By MArconi - I said 'In-date EICR' not new one each time a tenant takes up occupancy.

 

[davesparks]

Are you suggesting that a perfectly safe and sound property can't be let to a new tenant until a fresh EICR has been generated?

How ridiculous!
This sounds like a cracking good little earner for the electrical trade, but a completely unnecessary and over the top pain in the neck for everyone else concerned.

Best of luck with that one, but it doesn't take much thought to see through the true motive behind the idea.

How do you know the property is safe and sound?
An inspection by a competant person should be carried out before each tenant moves in.
I do such things for a local letting agent and some of the things I've found where previous tenants have fitted their own light fittings etc have rendered the installation somewhat less than 'safe and sound'

 

[davesparks]

By MArconi - I said 'In-date EICR' not new one each time a tenant takes up occupancy.

But that's the same thing, an EICR 'lasts' for say 5 or 10 years OR until the change of occupant

 

[marconi]

But that's the same thing, an EICR 'lasts' for say 5 or 10 years OR until the change of occupant

Please see Information for Landlords & Responsibilities | Electrical Safety First

 

[davesparks]

Please see Information for Landlords & Responsibilities | Electrical Safety First

See it for what? It just another in a line of 'guides' presenting opinions as facts from another self serving spin-off of the NICEIC

 

[Octopus]

Please see Information for Landlords & Responsibilities | Electrical Safety First

Hum.... every 5 years - what a load of tosh.

When I do an EICR, I give the recommended retest date based on the condition of the installation and NOT based on a 5 year term stated on a website.

 

[marconi]

See it for what? It just another in a line of 'guides' presenting opinions as facts from another self serving spin-off of the NICEIC

Mmm. I think I will disengage.

 

[marconi]

Hum.... every 5 years - what a load of tosh.

When I do an EICR, I give the recommended retest date based on the condition of the installation and NOT based on a 5 year term stated on a website.

If not an HMO, the reference actually says 'at least every five years'. I think we are agreeing.

 

[Octopus]

If not an HMO, the reference actually says 'at least every five years'. I think we are agreeing.

Er no... I may recommend 2 years, or I may recommend 10 years.

are you a sparky?

 

[marconi]

Er no... I may recommend 2 years, or I may recommend 10 years.

are you a sparky?

No, if by sparky you mean a qualified electrician. I am a chartered electrical engineer and chartered engineer.