Landlords face hefty fines of up to £30,000 if they have not had electrical safety inspections carried out on their properties by 1 April this year.
All new tenancies have required a valid Electrical Installation Condition Report since July 2020, but from the start of April this will apply to all existing tenancies, too.
If a landlord has not yet had an EICR, they need to do so as soon as possible, and then provide their tenant with a copy of the report within 28 days.
A typical report might cost between £100 and £300 depending on the size of the property and, once completed, a new inspection will be required every five years.
If a landlord fails to have these checks completed by a qualified professional, local authorities will be able to fine them up to £5,000 for a first offence and up to £30,000 thereafter for not complying.
'Despite the difficulties they faced during the pandemic, the vast majority of landlords have already obtained an EICR for their property ahead of the 1 April deadline,' says James Wood, senior policy officer at the National Residential Landlords Association.
'Those that haven't had one performed should ensure they do so as soon as possible or run the risk of financial penalties of up to £30,000 - or the cost of emergency remedial action if a local authority needs to perform work on the property.'
'Given the ongoing pandemic, many tenants may have concerns about allowing access for these electrical safety inspections,' says Wood.
'In the event the tenant does refuse access, then landlords should ensure they keep a record of their attempts to arrange an inspection and a record of the tenant refusing access.'
'This can show the local authority that all reasonable efforts have been made to comply with this legislation.'
For more information about electrical safety, please visit the government website here.