Issue - meetings

The Portfolio Holder for Strategic Housing and Health and Well Being presented a report on the subject of the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020. 

Cabinet was informed that the legislation introduced a requirement for landlords to undertake electrical safety checks at their properties every five years.  This brought electrical safety standards into line with existing gas safety standards.  Any failures in electrical safety standards that were identified during an inspection would need to be reported to the local authority and the landlord would have 28 days in which to take action to address these problems.  Fees would be introduced for non-compliance, which would be £1,000 for a first offence and £3,000 for subsequent offences.

RECOMMENDED that the proposed financial penalty charges for non-compliance set out within this report are adopted and the respective enforcement powers of the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 are delegated to the Head of Community and Housing Services.

(Prior to consideration of this item, Councillor P. Thomas declared a pecuniary interest due to his position as a private sector landlord.  He left the meeting and took no part in the debate or voting thereon.)