Tenant Fiddling with the Electrical Installation in a Rented Property.

I would say that the person carrying out the sub-standard work is liable for any consequences thereof, but only whilst they remain the tenant. The tenant might well claim that "it was like that when I moved in" And the landlord should be able to produce a test and inspection report to refute any such claim.

If any subsequent tenant suffers harm as a result of sub-standard work carried by a previous tenant, then I consider that the landlord is liable, for failing to have a proper test and inspection before the new tenancy. The landlord might have a legal claim against the former tenant, in theory, best of luck in practice with that.


IME, tenancy agreements do often prohibit "alterations to the structure, including the fixed plumbing and electrical systems" This would seem to permit minor "like for like" replacements as these are not "alterations"

I once met somebody who was a commercial landlord. She told me that her standard contract required tenants to leave the property in the same state in which they had found it.


(However, some NHS tenants on a fixed term lease had made such a good job of fitting out some offices that she was not going to enforce that term. So that's why the NHS is skint! ? )

I was sat in a housing association house having a cup of coffee with the lads whilst undertaking void maintenance.


I said that some of the tenants really took the p*** the way they messed about altering their rented homes, one of the lads said that they had assured tenancies, so could treat them like their own homes, to which I replied that doesn’t mean they can take the wall out between the lounge and the kitchen to create one big room. The other lads looked surprised and said they had not realised the tenants had taken the wall out and I was right, that was over stepping the mark.


One house on that estate required repairs costing sixteen thousand pounds to rectify the tenants DIY work after they were eventually moved out, all the windows had to be replaced because they cut slots in them to bring TV cables into every room.


Andy B.