Portable Appliance Testing (PAT)
The Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994 requires that all mains electrical equipment (kettles, toasters, washing machines, cookers etc.) new or second hand, supplied with an accommodation must be safe. Landlords therefore need to maintain regularly the electrical equipment they supply to ensure it is safe.
A record should be made of the goods supplied as part of the tenancy agreement and of checks made on those goods. The record should indicate who carried out the checks and when they did it.
It is strongly advisable to have the equipment checked before the start of each tenancy and good practice to have the equipment checked at regular intervals thereafter. You should obtain and retain test reports detailing the equipment, the tests carried out and the results.
The Consumer Protection Act 1987 affects all persons who let property in the course of their business because it defines them as ‘suppliers’, i.e. they are supplying goods to the tenant. There are several items of secondary legislation under the umbrella of the Consumer Protection Act which are directly relevant to the supply of electrical goods, including:
In essence, these regulations impose a duty on landlords to ensure that all electrical equipment supplied by them is safe for use by a tenant. The Cambridge City Council, under their Accreditation Scheme require that all electrical equipment is PAT tested before the start of a tenancy.
Please note the Accommodation Service is unable to provide details of or recommend electricians carrying out PAT testing.
Click here for more information about PAT.
