Propertymark has issued a new fact sheet in response to new electrical rules applying to the private rental sector in Northern Ireland.

The Electrical Safety Standards for Private Tenancies Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2024, were approved by the Northern Ireland Assembly late last year. It follows legislation back in 2022 which provided the Department for Communities with the power to create rules for private tenancies over areas like tenancy deposits, information to be issued to tenants, and notice to end periods.   

From April 1 this year, the regulations introduce the requirement for landlords to guarantee that electrical safety checks are completed at a private tenancy and at frequent intervals after the first inspection.   

Local councils will have the capacity to issue notices to landlords if they suspect the property does not have a legitimate inspection report.   

If a tenancy does not change during the period from April 1 to December 1 2025, then an electrical safety inspection must be completed before December 1. 

It will be illegal to commence a new private tenancy without gaining a report from a qualified professional from  April 1 2025. 

The professional must test and inspect every fixed electrical cable or fixed electrical equipment located on the consumer’s side of the electricity supply meter.    

Henry Griffith, Policy and Campaigns Officer at Propertymark, says: “Propertymark welcomes progress taken by the Department for Communities to establish electrical safety standards in private rented homes in Northern Ireland. We thank the department for continuing to work with us following the initial consultation to ensure that the new regulations work in the best interests of the sector. Agents who are members of Propertymark have access to arrange of resources to help them understand the changes and apply it to their businesses.”