Letting agents are being warned they are likely to face a higher number of mandatory electrical checks as the sector expands and tenant demand rises.

PropCert, a national provider of property certificates, says the surge in demand following the reopening of the market looks set to continue into autumn.

The most recent regulation change affecting new tenancies is the introduction of The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 on July 1.

It is now a requirement for an EICR report to be carried out before the start of all new tenancies, with all fixed electrical installations inspected at least every five years by a qualified professional.

There are a range of other tasks for landlords – or letting agents working on their behalf – including providing copies of EICR reports to new tenants.

“The new regulations mean that there is now a greater demand for professionals carrying out electrical checks than ever before. High tenant demand means that agents and landlords will be under pressure to get these checks completed quickly so moves aren’t delayed” explains Tom Harrington, PropCert’s managing director.

“Since the new rules were introduced in July, property professionals may have realised that they need to assess the electricians they work with and the processes they have in place to keep up with demand and remain compliant.”

Harrington urges agents and landlords to implement technology-led processes to manage the rise in checks, and to recruit a large pool of electricians who can be contacted to work at short notice.

“An efficient online system can help agents and landlords to manage their ever-growing workloads, while knowing they are compliant with the new regulations” Harrington says.

“Ultimately, mandatory electrical checks have been introduced to protect tenants and landlords’ investments. Therefore, managing the process through trusted suppliers and using the services of the best qualified electricians is in the interest of all stakeholders” he concludes.