HMO - electrical requirements

[bunny]

I'd appreciate any help.

I manage two licensed HMOs for a friend. It's coming up to 12 months now so I have been reviewing the electrical certificates.

I believed that the fire alarms and emergency lights should be certifcated every 12 months and they are coming up to this point.

I was speaking to my electrician and he doesn't believe a certificate is required. I have a log book to fill in that they have been checked on a regular basis (only for the communal areas) and as the lights are on 24/7 I can see that they work and I also know that the alarms are fine aswell (I set it off today!) but I believe I need a competent electrician's certificate every 12 months. It's a block of self contained flats with communal staircases.

It was all updated or new nearly 12 months ago to meet regs and I want to maintain the electrics legally and responsibly. If any advice could extend to the requirements for electics for each flat that would be useful.

I know what I think but I want to know what is the law.

Any advice please before I call the local council.

[red40]

Bunny, the text below is taken from the management regulations for HMO's, paragraph 3(a) is the relevant bit I think to your question.

Duty of manager to supply and maintain gas and electricity
6. —(1) The manager must supply to the local housing authority within 7 days of receiving a request in writing from that authority the latest gas appliance test certificate it has received in relation to the testing of any gas appliance at the HMO by a recognised engineer.

(2) In paragraph (1), "recognised engineer" means an engineer recognised by the Council of Registered Gas Installers as being competent to undertake such testing.

(3) The manager must—

(a) ensure that every fixed electrical installation is inspected and tested at intervals not exceeding five years by a person qualified to undertake such inspection and testing;

(b) obtain a certificate from the person conducting that test, specifying the results of the test; and

(c) supply that certificate to the local housing authority within 7 days of receiving a request in writing for it from that authority.

I attach a link to the relevant regulations, you should print these off and retain a copy for you reference.

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2006/20060372.htm

[ray]

Hi,

The fire alarm ystem should be tested weekly by operating a call point and inspected by a competent person every six months.

Emergency lighting should be tested monthly to ensure lamps are illuminated.
Once luminaires are three years old they should by inspected by a competent person annually which generally includes a three hour drain test.

[bunny]

Hi,

The fire alarm ystem should be tested weekly by operating a call point and inspected by a competent person every six months.

Emergency lighting should be tested monthly to ensure lamps are illuminated.
Once luminaires are three years old they should by inspected by a competent person annually which generally includes a three hour drain test.

Thanks for comments by red and ray.

Weekly testing of the fire alarm - really? I do check them regularly, everytime I go but it's not weekly. Can you quote any regs please ray? I seem to be getting conflicting advice. The alarm has a mixture of smoke and heat detectors in each flat, smoke detectors in communal hallways and break glass points in communal hallways and at some flat doors. I have plastic clip to be able to test break glass points, I can test the alarms. I remember a post by Rodent about testing with smoke bombs. Is this necessary? I did go over and above the legal requirements with the level of detectors etc so I am not trying to shy away from my responsibilities. It just isn't very clear :confused:

The lights are on all the time. They used to have push timers but they kept being broken so I went for (I always forget the terminology - maintained or non maintained i.e ones that are on 24/7) and they were installed just short of a year ago so it's easy for me to see whether they are working.

Thanks

[ray]

British Standard 5839 Part 6:2004 (Code of practice for the design,installation and maintenance of fire detection and fire alarm systems in dwellings) refers to the testing and maintenance regime.

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 is the legislation that applies to HMOs.

The British Standard which is only available at cost does not have legal status but following it's guidance will show compliance with the Fire Safety Order which is freely available.

The weekly test simply involves operating a different call point each week for five seconds or so, this not only tests that the alarm is working but also familirises the occupants to what the alarm sounds like, otherwise the first time that they hear the alarm may be at three am, after a few drinks and wonder what it is!

If you don't live locally you could ask a responsible tenant to do it for you and keep a log book.

The six monthly tests involve testing each smoke detector with a aerosol type device which imitates smoke, checking of the batteries in the control panel and various other tests. Even a qualified electrician could not carry out these tests without having access to the British Standard.

British Standard 5266 Part 8 2004 refers to the testing regime for the emergency lighting. Unless the luminaires have an automatic testing system, which is unlikely, the monthly test should involve disconnecting the supply to the lighting circuit to ensure the batteries are functioning, a switch should have been installed so that a "fish" key can be used to isolate the supply, if not then the circuit breaker for the lighting circuit can be operated.

[ah817]

My electrician who installed fire alarm and emergency lighting said I could test myself as once I had been shown what to do I was competent. So I bought the smoke spray aerosol for the smoke detectors and a hairdryer for the heat detectors and tested all detectors. I cut power to emergency lights during this time so they were on battery back up for around an hour. I also cut power to fire alarm to ensure that battery back up worked. He told me that alarm battery needs to be changed every x years(cannot remember if he said 3 or 5).

[LandlordLee]

Weekly, ha.. No way is that the regs in a HMO.

Infact yu do not need a fire alarm system anymore

[ah84]

Weekly, ha.. No way is that the regs in a HMO.

Infact yu do not need a fire alarm system anymore

And the source of your info is?

[Rodent1]

Certainly zonal fire alarm sytem has been dropped to just an interlinked system and fire extinquishers are no longer a requirement- but no alarm system LandlordLee - perhaps you would like to rephrase your post ?

[Rodent1]

I have several HMO props let to local council - used to house asylum seekers - they insist on certs annually for fire alarm (L2), e lights and general installation, Have put up with it on first annual request, but is this obligatory by law or just council condition ?

If so which law ?

Think i will ask them to state basis of request ....

[ah84]

Certainly zonal fire alarm sytem has been dropped to just an interlinked system and fire extinquishers are no longer a requirement- but no alarm system LandlordLee - perhaps you would like to rephrase your post ?

I spoke to a fire brigade officer the other day and he did not say there was no need for fire extinguishers.

As for zonal alarm my council have not informed me that it is not a requirement, but too late it is already done and money spent!!

Where did you hear this?

[bunny]

I have several HMO props let to local council - used to house asylum seekers - they insist on certs annually for fire alarm (L2), e lights and general installation, Have put up with it on first annual request, but is this obligatory by law or just council condition ?

If so which law ?

Think i will ask them to state basis of request ....

I am even more confused than I was before! I am still trying to find out. My council website says that fire alarms need to be serviced annually but I would like to know the law in respect of this also. I have a zoned alarm in one building with two zones, one zone covering a back flat and the the other zone covering the remaining three and the other property the alarm isn't zoned but apparently passes the criteria for when it was installed or so I was informed :confused: I needn't have bothered with the zoned part on one as the back flat isn't part of the HMO but I had it interlinked anyway when upgrading the system.

The back flats (annexes with their own front door but adjoined to the main building) in the two properties which are next door to each other, one flat is part of the HMO on one but not on the other and the top floor flat on one you can only rent to one person but the other the licence allows you to rent to two. I can't quite get my get head round who decided on that either as they are very much the same just minor differences!

[ah84]

I am even more confused than I was before! I am still trying to find out. My council website says that fire alarms need to be serviced annually but I would like to know the law in respect of this also. I have a zoned alarm in one building with two zones, one zone covering a back flat and the the other zone covering the remaining three and the other property the alarm isn't zoned but apparently passes the criteria for when it was installed or so I was informed :confused: I needn't have bothered with the zoned part on one as the back flat isn't part of the HMO but I had it interlinked anyway when upgrading the system.

The back flats (annexes with their own front door but adjoined to the main building) in the two properties which are next door to each other, one flat is part of the HMO on one but not on the other and the top floor flat on one you can only rent to one person but the other the licence allows you to rent to two. I can't quite get my get head round who decided on that either as they are very much the same just minor differences!

Yes , but by who? I am quite competent at checking the alarm is in working order. It is not difficult to check that all detectors and call points set off the alarm.

[bunny]

Yes , but by who? I am quite competent at checking the alarm is in working order. It is not difficult to check that all detectors and call points set off the alarm.

It states by a "competent person" as per Regulation 10 of the Housing (Management of Houses in Multiple Occupation Regulations) 1990.

Yes, I agree with you, I am also quite capable and I can also see the lighting is working hence my original post :D

[Rodent1]

I spoke to a fire brigade officer the other day and he did not say there was no need for fire extinguishers.

As for zonal alarm my council have not informed me that it is not a requirement, but too late it is already done and money spent!!

Where did you hear this?


This is certainly the case in Cardiff - 100%- I removed all fire extinquishers from my properties about a year ago.
I was informed of the change on zonal requirement 3 days after i fitted one, which went down like a lead brick!

[johnny99]

Most of the answers to your questions can be found in the LACORS fire safety guide. There's a link to it here:

http://www.lacors.gov.uk/lacors/NewsArticleDetails.aspx?id=21330&authCode=

They've also issued some clarification. The link is also on this page:


I hope this helps.

[lowbaylighting]

If requested by the Council, the manager must supply, within 7 days, the latest gas safety inspection certificate for the property as carried out by a CORGI registered engineer.

The manager must ensure that the property’s electrical installation is inspected and tested at least every five years, and that, if requested, the latest inspection certificate is supplied to the Council within 7 days.

The manager must also ensure that there is no unreasonable interruption to the gas or electricity supplies used by any occupier.