Electrical Safety Guide for Tenants
Your landlord is responsible for ensuring the electrical safety in your home of the installations (sockets, switches etc), and the appliances they provide to you. How you use these things, and the appliances that you bring into the property are you responsibility however. This our guide about how you can make sure your home is safe.
Portable appliances
Your landlord is responsible for portable appliance testing (PAT) for the the appliances they provide around your property, this may include vacuum cleaners, TV’s etc.
It is your responsibility to make sure any appliances you bring into the property are safe and that you use them correctly. Appliances should be tested once per year. You can find more information here about having your appliances tested.
Please take extra care when using high risk items such as hair straighteners
Extension cables
The misuse of extension cables can cause fires. Wherever possible, minimise the use of extension leads in your home. As a general rule, please use one plug socket for one plug.
- Avoid the use of block adaptors with multiple sockets
- Never plug one extension lead into another.
- If you are using extension leads make sure they are subject to the same in-service inspection regime (‘PAT testing’) as other portable electrical appliances (See Portable Appliances above).
Potential faults
Whilst your landlord will carry out regular inspections in your property, you should also be on the look out for potential faults:
- A smell of fish in your home (especially when you’ve not been cooking fish!), can be an indicator of an electrical fire, call your managing agent or landlord straight away.
- Damaged or exposed wiring
- Overloaded sockets
- Loose or broken sockets/switches
- Signs of overheating, scorch marks or discoloration around sockets, switches or electrical appliances.
- Safe routing of cables, ensuing that they are not running under carpets or across doorways where then can be damaged.
If you see any evidence of a fault, stop using the appliance/installation and contact your managing agent or landlord straight away.
