Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they are making on plans to introduce mandatory electrical safety checks in the private rented sector.

On 13 January 2020, the Government laid before Parliament new regulations that will require private landlords to make sure the electrical installations in their properties are safe.

The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 require that:

• Electrical installations must be inspected and tested by a qualified and competent person at least every five years;
• Electrical safety standards must be met;
• Reports (known as ‘Electrical Installation Condition Reports or ‘EICRs’) must be provided to tenants, and to local authorities on request.

The Regulations also set out enforcement powers for local authorities who will be able to tackle those rogue landlords who breach their new duties under the Regulations.

Subject to approval by parliament, these requirements will come into force for all new tenancies from 1 July 2020 and for all existing tenancies from 1 April 2021.