A Commercial Landlord’s Guide to Electrical Safety
If you are the landlord of a commercial building, you have a legal obligation to ensure that the electrical systems installed do not pose any risk to your tenants’ health and safety. This is stipulated in The Landlord and Tenant Act (1985). Electricity can severely harm or even kill if it is faulty or misused. With this in mind, you will need to certify that the property is safe before signing any tenancy agreements.
Depending on the terms of the commercial lease, any upkeep or repair work on the electrical appliances used within the property may fall to either yourself or your tenant. With that said, it’s important to discuss this before signing the agreement. However, regardless of who is responsible for ongoing maintenance work, the law places responsibility firmly on the landlord to ensure safety standards are met. Failure to take appropriate precautions to prevent injury or damage may result in substantial compensation claims
Do I Need to Inspect the Building?
It is recommended that a commercial landlord should have electrical inspections carried out every five years, or on change of tenancy. These inspections should be carried out by a registered electrician such as Smart Electricians. Any certificates you are provided with after an inspection should be kept. This will allow you to prove due diligence if there is ever an accident. However, you don’t legally have to provide these certificates to the tenant. You should, however, ensure the tenant has appropriate instruction manuals so that they can use the electrical appliances correctly.
Do I Need an EICR?
Although not a legal requirement, EICRs are important because they protect inhabitants of buildings from possible electrical risks. At Smart Electricians, we offer EICRs to both domestic and commercial properties in and around Sheffield. These are designed to check the safety and conditions of electrical installations. Think of it as similar to an MOT! If any faults are found, they will be included in the EICR report. As a result, you will know what repair work you need to carry out to keep your tenants safe.
Do I Need to Rewire My Commercial Building?
If you are renovating your commercial space, it would be wise to consider rewiring the building. This will ensure the property can keep up with increased demands, such as additional electronics, and keep hazards to a minimum.
Even if you’re not renovating, there may come a time when you need to rewire, especially if it hasn’t been done in a long time. Rewiring services are something we offer at Smart Electricians, so give us a call if you’d like to find out more. We are passionate about what we do and always happy to help.