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The tragedy that was Grenfell Tower really woke the public up to how important electrical safety is. Of course, there have been many incidents in the past, but it was soon after Grenfell Tower that the construction industry said enough is enough and rightly so. With fatalities and accidents taken into consideration, new measures have been put into place to ensure mandatory electrical inspections are carried out by competent and qualified inspectors.
Such new rules have been put into play with tenants in mind, giving them further protection from any rogue traders or even having the Landlord attempt some 'diy'. Being a major issue, more and more people are renting these days so it makes logical sense for rules and regulations to be made extra strict. The announcement was made just yesterday (January 29th) by Housing Minister Heather Wheeler.
Here's what she had to say:
Everyone has the right to feel safe and secure in their own home. While measures are already in place to crack down on the small minority of landlords who rent out unsafe properties, we need to do more to protect tenants.
These new measures will reduce the risk of faulty electrical equipment, giving people peace of mind and helping to keep them safe in their homes.
It will also provide clear guidance to landlords on who they should be hiring to carry out these important electrical safety checks.
There will be tough financial penalties
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It's worth noting for all Landlord's out there reading this that should you not comply with the new rules, tough financial penalties will be handed out. To help make things clearer, it's been reported that ministers will also publish new guidance which sets out the minimum level of competence and qualifications necessary for those carrying out these important inspections, meaning both landlords and tenants can be assured their home is safe from electrical faults.
It's looking likely that the penalties given will be at the mercy of local authorities to decide which is the most appropriate. Interestingly enough, the new rules are set to match what is currently in place in Scotland. Is the rest of the UK behind? That's the question!
We always advise you guys to double check with whoever you have hired for a particular job, to make sure you ask them about the Electrical Courses and Electrician Training they've received. To give you guys a clear understanding of what these entail, please click here.