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Landlords and Developers of Properties. |
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This information is for Property Developers and Landlords who are modifying properties for rental or resale. This list and information is not solely to be relied upon for developments but is a general guide and more information may be obtained from your Local Authority Building Control, Local Council and Fire Safety Officer. It is your responsibility to provide minimum requirements for the Health and Safety of your tenants as part of your 'Duty of Care'. There are more items that should be included but for electrical contractors the main items are listed below. Not all electrical contractors will provide these services or this information depending on their specific lines of work. It is becoming more and more necessary that these items are addressed so as to maintain minimum standards of accommodation. Recommended items that should be included in the reworking of a dwelling: 1. Electrical Installation - i) It is recommended that a Periodic Inspection Report (PIR) is obtained for the dwelling. This PIR will highlight any defects in the Electrical Installation that may pose a risk to occupants. PIR's for rented accommodation are required by BS 7671 to be carried out every 5 years or on change of occupancy/tenant. ii) It should be noted that to comply with the building regulations any alteration work should be carried out be either a Part P Registered company or with approval of the Local Authority Building Control (although this route may be more expensive and time consuming). iii) Certificates for Installation and Testing should be provided on completion. 2. Fixed Appliances - i) Any apppliances that you as a Landlord provide to your tenants for their use i.e. washing machines, kettles, toasters etc. should be Portable Appliance Tested (PAT) to ensure that the appliances are safe for use. These tests are documented for reference purposes and may be required by Insurance Companies for insuring your property. 3. Ventilation - i) Within Part F (Ventilation) of the Building Regulations, are defined the minimum requirements for ventilation of dwellings. ii) Certificates for Installation and Testing should be provided on completion. iii) Including extractor fans for removal contaminated air from the building. These extractors should be installed by a member of a registered scheme and should also comply with Part P of the building regulations. iv) Kitchens: Are required to have installed an extractor fan that extracts to the outside. The required minimum intermittent air removal rate must not be less than 30l/s adjacent to a hob (60l/s elsewhere) as defined in Part F of the Building Regulations. v) Bathrooms: Are required to have installed an extractor that extracts to the outside. The required minimum intermittent air removal rate must not be less than 15l/s as defined in Part F of the Building Regulations. vi) Separate toilets are required to have installed an extractor that extracts to the outside. The required minimum intermittent air removal rate must not be less than 6l/s as defined in part F of the Building Regulations. 4. Fire Alarms - i) For the safety of occupants it is recommended that dwellings are fitted with appropriate Fire Detectors/Alarms to BS 5839 - 6 (dwellings). These must be mains powered with a battery back up. ii) These should be installed as required by Part B of the Building Regulations by a member of a registered scheme and should also comply with Part P of the building regulations. iii) Certificates for Installation and Testing should be provided on completion. iv) An LD2 system should be installed in each flat and also in communal areas i.e. stairwells, having a mains powered supply for normal usage and a battery back up which automatically replaces the mains upon mains failure. It is recommended that rechargeable battery units are used in communal areas to reduce battery replacement. v) The types available are standard battery types (battery should be replaced yearly) although this requires the Tennant to replace the battery themselves. Rechargeable NiCad batteries which have approximately 5 year's life span. Or Lithium batteries which have approximately 10 year's lifespan. vi) The alarms in each individual flat must be interlinked for whole flat coverage. The alarms in each flat may be connected to the communal area alarms. Other considerations may not make this a viable option, such as nuisance alarms from cooking etc. Please note this list is not exhaustive, it covers specific items that electrical installers should adhere to and is subject to change. |
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