Commenting on the call by Teresa Pearce MP for a national system of landlord accreditation, with properties assessed by local authorities to determine if they are fit to rent, Phil Buckle, Director General of the Electrical Safety Council (ESC) said:
“While we fully support Ms Pearce’s call for local councils to assess the suitability of rented properties in their domain, our House Proud Report – co-authored with the Local Government Information Unit – recommends that councils be given greater freedom and capacity to respond to the housing needs of their local area, as one size does not fit all." "However, we have also called for the introduction of a national requirement for regular electrical inspections in the Private Rented Sector (PRS). Half of all domestic fires in Britain arise through electricity and research suggests that tenants in the PRS are more at risk of electric shock and fire than owner occupiers, so high safety standards should be an essential consideration.� The ESC has previously called for the London Rental Standard to include a mandatory minimum condition standard, to include electrical safety, to ensure that properties are in a reasonable state of repair.

[url="http://www.esc.org.uk/public/news-and-campaigns/news/news/article/esc-responds-to-teresa-pearces-call-for-national-landlord-registration/"]Continue reading...[/url]