BS 546 to be withdrawn ?

Presumably the modern style '546 sockets with the newer shuttered sockets and sleeved pins do meet the current regulatory  requirements ?

It seems to be generally accepted that the IET regulations are retrospective with regards to rented properties, and that compliance with the latest edition, including amendments is required before letting a home.

I thought that was exactly NOT what the law said - The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 specifically refers to the unamended version of  BS 7671: 2018 - and apparently deliberately so - it's the principle of non-ambulatory legislation - i.e. no-one but Parliament can change what a law means.

Some might suggest that complying with a later version is a 'good as' complying with the stated version - which of itself is perhaps reasonable (especially where options like o-pen devices might be an safety improvement on what BS 7671:2018 originally permitted) but that's not at all the same as saying that only compliance with the latest version will do.

   - Andy.

Last updated in 1950! It is, apparently, "Under review".

That brings up an interesting question. If a legally mandated (like landlord regs) edition of BS 7671 says that sockets (or RCDs or light sockets or whatever) must conform to one of a list of standards, what happens if subsequently one of those standards (like BS 546) is withdrawn? Is it still legal to use them within the context of that legislation?

I agree, BUT many posts from established members of these forums do state or imply that rented properties require compliance with the most recent standards.

Including, RCDs on almost all circuits.

CPC on lighting circuits even if all fittings are plastic.

And more recently, surge protection, and soon arc fault detection.

BS372 is the obsolete standard from the same era for the 2 pin connectors that predated the 3 pin one. That morphed into the current standard for UK shaver plugs, with sleeved pins shuttered holes etc in the 1970s. If anything the 1950 version of the 3 pin standard would benefit from the same updates, perhaps to the same levels as either the current Indian or South African standards that correspond in terms of dimensions.

Mike.

The actual statutory instrument says that rented properties must comply with BS 7671:2018 at all times. This is unaffected by new editions and amendments to BS 7671, so AFDDs don't automatically become a legal requirement if BS 7671 itself makes them mandatory. What is less clear is how that law should be interpreted when  standards to which BS 7671 makes reference change. It could be argued that the list of "standards to which reference has been made" in Appendix 1 specifies particular versions of those standards (e.g. BS 646:1950 (1980)), so if the standard is updated or withdrawn, arguably BS 7671:2018 still refers to the obsolete version of that standard, so the landlord regs require you to continue to follow that obsolete standard.

NB: the government guidance on the landlord regs (which is not law, but has strong persuasiveness as a defence if the landlord followed the guidance) says basically "when we said the property has to comply with BS 7671:2018 at all times, we didn't really mean that. C3's are probably ok".