Causeway Coast & Glens Council approves £1,000 fine for landlords who fail to meet electrical safety rules
Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council has approved the maximum £1,000 fine for private landlords who fail to adhere to new electrical safety regulations.
The Electrical Safety Standards for Private Tenancies Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2024, which came into effect on April 1 last year, empowers Councils to issue fixed penalty notices for offences concerning electrical standards.
An officer’s report, presented to members at March’s Environmental Services Committee, said landlords who fail to comply with the regulations are liable, on summary conviction, to a fine of up to £5,000, and Councils may issue fixed penalty notices of up to £1,000 as an alternative to prosecution.
The report said compliance with regulations is expected to improve electrical safety and reduce the risk of fires in privately rented homes and recommended that Council approve the maximum £1,000, which will enable additional Council duties in the absence of any financial support form the Department for Communities.
Under the regulations landlords are required to ensure that electrical safety standards are met for the duration of the tenancy, all electrical installations in the dwelling are inspected and tested at regular intervals by a qualified person, and the first inspection and test is carried out before the commencement of a new tenancy or by December 1, 2025, for existing tenancies.
Members agreed to apply the maximum £1,000 fixed penalty amount for any such offences.
The decision by the members of the Environmental Services Committee will now go to the next full meeting of Causeway Coast and Glens Council for ratification.