PAT Testing - Landlord’s Legal Requirements and Electrical Safety?

Where any sort of property: houses, flats and holiday homes, caravans and boats etc. are let for residential accommodation as a business activity: the Landlord is required by law to ensure the portable appliance electrical equipment they supply as part of the tenancy is safe.

The Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994

These regulations require that all items of all portable appliance electrical equipment (cookers, washing machines, kettles, etc) powered by mains electricity in the accommodation must be safe.

  • Landlords therefore need to regularly maintain the portable appliance electrical equipment they supply to ensure it is regularly PAT tested and is safe
  • All appliances in the property should be checked prior to the tenancy to ensure that all goods supplied are in a safe condition.
  • 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.
  • All portable appliances should be PAT Tested at regular intervals thereafter to ensure risk mitigation.
  • Best practice would be to undertake PAT Testing on an annual basis or in the case of long term property lets at the very minimum each time the property is re-let.
  • You should obtain and retain PAT Test reports detailing the equipment, the tests carried out and the results. In order to minimise your liability to litigation

Want to know PAT Testing – The Landlord’s legal requirements – talk to a PAT Testing expert today and learn more about our Portable Appliance Testing Services, contact us on 01444 616206 or via email at enquiries@rmk-pat.co.uk