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Electrical Appliances – PAT Service
Safeguard Properties & Tenants with Portable Appliance Testing
PAT testing is important both for the safety of your tenants and the safety of your property. While there is no legal requirement beyond the equipment supplied by the landlord – unless stated in the terms of a selective landlord license – maintaining all electrical equipment in good condition throughout a tenancy should be seen as an investment rather than a cost.
What is a PAT?
Portable appliance testing (PAT) is a method of certifying the safety of electrical appliances and is required for all free-standing electrical devices which are supplied by the landlord. The Electrical Equipment Safety Regulations state that landlords must ensure supplied electrical equipment is safe, and maintained in a good condition, during the tenancy. It is the tenant’s responsibility, however, to ensure their own electrical appliances are also safe.
How Often is PAT Required?
Regular PAT testing is recommended to ensure ongoing electrical safety. While there are no fixed legal intervals, it is advisable for buy to let landlords to conduct PAT testing at least once every two years or at the change of tenancy to ensure all appliances remain in a safe working condition.
Are landlords required to supply PAT?
In some cases, PAT may be a requirement – for example, as mentioned, if the property is under the terms of a selective, mandatory, or additional license.
However, as a landlord, you have a duty of care for your tenants and should be able to recognise if an appliance could be deemed unsafe. You can partake in a visual inspection by ensuring that:
- Cables are not restricted (trapped under furniture)
- There is no damage to the plug
- There are no loose screws or parts
- No tape has been applied to leads or around the appliance
- There are no burn marks on the appliance or plug and no signs of overheating
- There are no exposed wires, fraying, cut or badly scuffed cables
- That appliances are suitably stored
- That appliances are being used in the correct manner, as stated in the manufacturer’s instructions
If you believe that an appliance is unsafe then, you must remove from the property and, ideally, replace immediately. If a tenant were to be injured by a faulty electrical appliance, then insurance companies may ask for a PAT history. Failure to supply this may result in your claim being rejected.
Do new appliances require PAT?
Typically, new appliances under warranty do not need immediate testing. However, landlords should still consider a visual inspection to ensure no damage occurred during transport or installation.
What we can do
Wirral Homes recommend that a qualified person carry out all portable appliance testing and, to make the lives of our buy to let landlords that little bit easier, we work with trusted individuals to offer both initial testing and ongoing maintenance. Contact Us today to see how we can take the stress out of managing your property portfolio.
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