9 Crown Row, Bracknell, Berkshire, RG12 0TH
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Marketing & Operations Manager
Helen is Nick’s sister and she successfully set up and established our Lettings Department back in 2013. Having spent much of her career prior to DY working in marketing, Helen now heads up our Marketing & Operations department. This suits her organisational skills, creativity and keen eye for detail perfectly! She loves taking long walks with her Labrador Finn and when time permits, travelling and visiting new places around the globe.
Top of my bucket list is…
To keep travelling, visiting more new countries and ultimately, one day explore Europe in a (very comfortable!) camper van.
My guilty pleasure…
Ben & Jerry’s cookie dough ice cream. Probably best just not to buy it!
When I was younger, I wanted to be…
Less shy/more confident. Still working on it…
If I were a superhero, my superpower would be…
To help find a cure for cancer and dementia. Here’s hoping.
On Sunday morning, you can usually find me…
Up bright and early for a long dog walk in the country.
You might be surprised to know that…
One of my earliest qualifications as a teenager was as a Clarks trained shoe fitter. Ohh, all those back to school shoes!
9 Mar 2020
After years in the pipeline, new electrical safety standards for private rental properties are expected to come into force on 1st July 2020.
The legislation is likely to get the green light in the House of Commons and the House of Lords in the coming weeks.
What will the new rules mean?
Currently, landlords are obligated to keep the electrics in their properties in good working order, but there are no hard and fast rules about exactly how and when they do this.
After 1st July this is likely to change. Every fixed electrical installation in a rental property will need to be inspected and tested by a qualified electrician every five years.
This inspection process will generate what’s called an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR). Get used to hearing this acronym. As a landlord, you’ll be required to give each tenant a copy of the property’s EICR at the beginning of a tenancy.
Your local authority will also have the right to ask to see a copy of the EICR – a request you must comply with within seven days. And letting agents won’t be able to move people into your property unless you can provide them with one too.
What if an inspection reveals a problem?
Any issue must be remedied within 28 days – or sooner if it’s a more serious fault. The work needs to be done by a qualified person, and you need the paperwork to prove it’s been done to a high standard.
What if a landlord fails to comply?
Breach these new regulations, and you could be hit with a fine of up to £30,000. It’s also worth noting that local authorities will have the power to carry out repair works themselves – and then pass the costs, along with a hefty fine, onto the landlord.
If you don’t feel comfortable overseeing this process yourself, we can provide you with the right advice and numbers for good electricians to make sure you stay on the right side of the law.
When does it come into place?
The new rules are expected to come into effect on 1st July 2020. Any new tenancy or renewal after this date will require an electrical inspection and report (EICR). For pre-existing tenancies, you have until 1st April 2021, to get an EICR.
If you’d like more advice about this new legislation please contact our Lettings team, who are well-informed and can help guide you through the process.
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