No earth in rented house

[Missjenkins]

Hi I am seeking some advice. We rent our property and it was discovered by a British Gas engineer 2 days ago that the property is not earthed. He checked by plugging a device into several sockets in the property. We have raised this with the letting agent and they have responded by saying there is no legal requirement for the property to be earthed. Another British Gas engineer was sent today along with a manager and a rep from the letting agency to say that they could only advise the landlord that it does not comply with current standards.

I would like to know if this makes the property dangerous?

What action can be taken against the landlord to ensure the property is brought up to a current and safe standard?

I have read the HHSRS document and it states that under 5s are at most risk. My son is 7 months and has just started crawling and inspecting everything which is only adding to my motherly concern!



Thanks in advance

 

[davesparks]

Those plug in type testers with three lights on the front are only a very rough guesstimate. There are different types of earthing connection used in the uk and some of them will 'fail' according to a plug in tester when they are working correctly.
British Gas are well known for using this tactic to scare people in to having work done unnecessarily.
It may be worth getting a local electrician to have a look and do a few proper tests to assess the situation. If you post your location then someone on here may be able to assist you.

 

[Leesparkykent]

https://www.rla.org.uk/landlord/guides/responsibilities/electrical_safety.shtml

 

[ImpededLoop]

As Dave says, it may be that the test hasn't been carried out in a meaningful way with the correct test meter, or that the electrician(s) have misinterpreted the test results. It may be that you have what is known as a TT earthing system which sometimes results in a higher earthing impedance value than other earthing types. An "electrician" who is inexperienced may think this is a problem when it probably isn't.

Best advice is to get an electrician to check it. It might cost you a small fee to have it checked, but it would give you peace of mind to know whether there actually is a problem or not.

 

[Andy78]

I once had a BG engineer plug one of those things into my sockets and tell me my electrics were dangerous and needed on of their electricians to come and have a look. He could not tell me:

• What test he was performing
• why my electrics were deemed to be dangerous
• if his tester was calibrated or not
• why an electrician was needed

It was at this point I asked him to pack up and do one, and I would get boiler quotes from elsewhere.

Another BG guy told my brother his house had no earth when I knew full well it did. He later admitted he didn't really know what he was doing or looking for.

Get a local recommended electrician to come and give you a second opinion as Davesparks says.

Your landlord is under a duty of care to provide and maintain a safe electrical system, but a second opinion would be my first point of call knowing what BG can be like.

 

[Marvo]

.......and they have responded by saying there is no legal requirement for the property to be earthed.

This statement worries me. Any supply must have an associated earthing arrangement. It may be that this earthing is the responsibility of someone other than the DNO or supply authority but it must be provided and functional within specifications laid out in the regulations.

I would like to know if this makes the property dangerous?

A supply without an earth would be considered a hazard but as others have commented above I suspect they haven't properly tested the earth with a suitable tester.

What action can be taken against the landlord to ensure the property is brought up to a current and safe standard?

If it is proved the earth is missing or inadequate then it would be the landlord's responsibility to arrange for remedial work.

I have read the HHSRS document and it states that under 5s are at most risk. My son is 7 months and has just started crawling and inspecting everything which is only adding to my motherly concern!

If the electrical installation has no earth or an inadequate earth all uses are at risk. In this situation the installation is as much a fire hazard as it is a shock hazard. I'd also suggest you pay an experienced sparky to do an earth test and maybe a visual inspection of the CU whilst he's at it. It would probably take him longer to drink his mug of tea than it would to do the tests so the cost shouldn't be high and it would be money well spent.