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PRS SECONDS AWAY ROUND 2

John Peckham
I had an email today from one of my network of contractors concerning a refusal by a letting agent accepting an EIC for the purposes of satisfying the requirements for PRS.


The installation is new in May this year and the contractor has issued an EIC for 10 years. The letting agent has refused the EIC and wants an EICR to satisfy the requirements for letting and the PRS .


My observations are.


1. We teach inspecting and testing students that an EICR is a "report" and not a certificate.

2. We teach inspecting and testing students that an EIC is a "certificate" and not a "report".

3. The PRS legislation requires a "report" from a qualified  person. No mention of a certificate.

4. The duration of the required report is 5 years.

5. The average letting agent will normaly accept any old bit of paper from one of their tame contractors written on the back of a bus ticket in crayon by a knuckle scraping half wit.


So what does the forum think, was the letting agent right to refuse an EIC and only accept an EICR?


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    So far I crossed thirteen EICRs off my current to do list, because the installations are only four years old, so the inspections have been pushed back to next year which suits me and everyone else.


    Andy Betteridge
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    What about new build properties or new electrical installations?



    If a property is newly built or has been completely rewired, it should have an Electrical Installation Certificate known as an EIC.



    Landlords can provide a copy of the EIC to tenants and, if requested, the local authority. The landlord will then not be required to carry out further checks or provide a report for 5 years after the EIC has been issued, as long as they have complied with their duty or duties under the Regulations.

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/electrical-safety-standards-in-the-private-rented-sector-guidance-for-landlords-tenants-and-local-authorities/guide-for-landlords-electrical-safety-standards-in-the-private-rented-sector#the-inspection


    That is the guidance, I am not sure how it squares up with the actual legal document as written.


    The letting agent needs to get a grip.


     Andy Betteridge 


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    https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/312/regulation/3/made
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    If the letting agent wants an EICR, the letting agent can pay for an EICR.
  • 0
    My view is the Government guidance trumps the view of a letting agent.
  • 0
    I have just read Johns posting of the Government advice, and it is daft. This is what should happen:

    If I have an unsatisfactory EICR and remedial work is carried out, and an EIC should be issued. A letter from the landlord saying it is fixed is nothing like correct! A copy of the EIC should be provided along with the failed EICR to the tenant. This proves that the work has been done properly, and says who did it. Otherwise I would expect any old bodge-up and a fake letter.


    The fact that the Government has got this process completely wrong is serious. Something needs to be done now to correct it.
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    Having received an unsatisfactory EICR the landlord has to ensure that when the remedial work is carried out the electrician provides either a Minor Work Certificate or an Electrical Installation Certificate, depending on what remedial work has been undertaken, these are then “appended” to the EICR.  


    Well, that’s the theory, but if you get the repairs done before issuing the EICR the report will state the installation is satisfactory.


    I installed a replacement consumer unit in one house, it wasn’t even worth spending the time doing the report before the fuse board was replaced as there were several C1- if you touch it you may die faults.


    In the end I sent an EIC for the new CU and a satisfactory EICR, which is probably OTT, but makes things run smoothly.


    Andy B.
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    "The average letting agent will normaly accept any old bit of paper from one of their tame contractors written on the back of a bus ticket in crayon by a knuckle scraping half wit.


    I enjoyed that comment.


    I`ve had letting agents inform me that an EIC is valid for 10 years and a Periodic for 5 years irrespective that the period the signatory had put down was a lower figure.


    I always asked what sound engineering judgement with relation to qualifications and experience would be employed to justify to a man in a wig, whilst gripping the rail. their decision to overule the inspector they`d employed.


    Followed by "Do you actually know anything about electrics at all?"
  • 0
    I have just finished a phone call about a homebuyers EICR and said I would email the report, the homebuyer said that’s good because he will be able to upload it into the solicitors portal.


    All my reports are being emailed, I have not posted anyone a hard copy at all since starting the letting agent work.


    Andy B.



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    And don’t forget some of the “private rental sector” EICRs will also be used when the properties are sold and bought by a new owner, who may be a homebuyer or another investor.


    Once they are in the hands of a solicitor and filed away there is no changing your mind about what you said in the report.


     Andy B

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