Landlord PAT Testing

Landlord PAT Testing in Coventry & West Midlands

Any portable electrical appliances that you supply in a property for tenants to use must be safe including fridges, freezers, washing machines. As the landlord or letting agent of a property in Coventry, Birmingham or the West Midlands it’s your responsibility under The Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994 to ensure that all appliances are safe. You can ensure this by having a regular schedule of PAT testing and regular inspections of equipment.

This is more important with student lettings where a high proportion of electrical appliances are landlord supplied and some are provided by the student or their family, the kettle they’ve used for the last 3 years may well need testing.

You also need to bear in mind that for licensable HMO’s (which many student lets are), evidence of PAT testing of all portable appliances over one year old (as well as electrical installation safety certificate) is often required before the HMO certificate is approved.

As a landlord you have an obligation under a variety of regulations to maintain the safety and integrity of electrical appliances in the following situations:

Any case where members of the public are using appliances that you have supplied;
In the instance of electrical appliances being used but a 3rd party, or being hired out;
Where servicing and repair of electrical appliances is undertaken.

Ensuring the safety of electrical appliances by PAT Testing

It’s very likely that your insurance company requires that your property is electrically safe & that you have the necessary paperwork to prove it. Whilst most NICEIC electricians are able to inspect, test & certify the fixed wiring in the property – many simply don’t have the equipment to quickly PAT test in a recognised way and then produce documentation. We use Seaward PAT test equipment and industry standard recording software for the results. You can see examples of the documentation we’re able to provide at this page.

PAT testing needs to be done regularly as just using the appliances will affect their electrical condition.

When carrying out landlord pat testing on appliances in your property, as an experienced IT & Lighting technician, I’ll conduct visual checks on each appliance. These checks ensure good condition of the flex, correct fuses present and working, plug wired correctly etc.

If necessary, I can supply and fit a replacement safe 13a plug with the correct rated fuse installed. Once the visual checks are completed, I’ll use a calibrated tester to check the safety of the appliances.

Conducting regular pat testing in Coventry ensures that the equipment you supply in your rented accommodation is in safe working order.

What do I need to have PAT tested?

Any “portable” appliances that you supply with your property such as kettles, fridges, freezers, washing machines, televisions, vacuum cleaners should be PAT tested. This proves that you’re complying with the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994 which states that all electrical appliances connected to the mains supplied with Let accommodation must be safe.

The Plugs and Sockets etc. (Safety) Regulations 1994 relates to the supply of plugs, sockets, adaptors and fuses intended for domestic use and also the supply of any appliance with a plug fitted. Because the regulations relate to the “supply”, then the lettings agent or landlord become liable as the “supplier”.

Once the PAT test is complete

Once tests are complete, the appliance will be labelled with the result and date allowing individual responsibility to be taken by each person who uses it. Any items that fail will be clearly labelled allowing you to take the appliance out of use straightaway to minimise your liability. Once I’ve finished I’ll eMail you test results in a format that you can print, file & display in the property.

My charges are simple and easy to work out

Test one item £6.95
Test four items £25
If the 13a plug is damaged – a replacement is included in the price
A suitable replacement fuse is included where necessary

If you’re unsure how many items you have to test, then still get in touch, I can be flexible with pricing. I’m also happy to give a “per property” price if you have more than property that needs testing.

Don’t be taken in when you Google “Landlord PAT testing” and you see others offering 75p per test. Most appliances need 4 tests so it’s often really £3 per appliance not including replacement plugs and fuses. Have a read of this article before you decide.

If you need more items tested, I can quote you a price for that too. You can pay by credit/debit card or cash once I complete the testing and before I send you the results. You can see a sample of the basic reports I can offer here and if need be – I can print certificates for you to display in the property.

To ensure your properties are as risk-free as possible and to give you peace of mind, contact me to discuss your own landlord pat testing in Coventry.

Please note:

Coventry City Council seem to stipulate as of August 2020 that PAT testing for Let properties be carried out by “a competent electrician”. Whilst I am competent, I have no qualification that describes me as an “electrician”
These prices depend on being given free and easy access to the appliances & property;
I reserve the right to charge for my time if I have to wait unduly or if the appliance is difficult to access;
The price applies to properties in Coventry postcodes CV1 to CV7
Simple repairs such as replacing power cords or IEC/Kettle leads will be quoted separately.

More Information

How often do I need to test? Click here

This page on the Residential Landlords Association website explains more – Click here

If you need a “Landlord Electrical Safety Certificate” then I can personally recommend Hertz Electrical – there’s a link to their website on the right of this screen.