Rewiring a Rental Property

For landlords, the news that they need to arrange to rewire for their rental property can prompt several questions and there are unique challenges to overcome. Thames Valley Electricians are your local specialist rewire electrician in Bracknell and we are on hand to talk you through rewiring your rental property.

Why does my rental property need a rewire?

As a landlord, you will be aware that your rental property must undergo an electrical inspection, known as an EICR, every 5 years. An EICR assesses the condition of the electrics in your Bracknell property. The aim of the EICR is to keep your tenants electrically safe by ensuring your electrics are in good condition. If the electrician who carries out your EICR inspection discovers lots of issues with your rental property’s electrical installation, a rewire may be advised. This can often be the best, and most cost effective, course of action if there are lots of failing areas. 

Usually, if there are problems that denote a rewire is needed, your tenants will have complained that they were noticing issues such as flickering lights or frequent tripping at the fuse board.  Over time the electrical wiring in your rental property will endure heavy usage and it will, eventually, begin to deteriorate. Electrical wiring can generally be expected to be in serviceable condition for around 25 years. After this a rewire will often be advisable and for rental properties will usually be necessary. If you are the landlord of a HMO’s these time frames may be shorter due to the specific regulations at these types of properties. 

Rental property rewiring

When your Bracknell rental property undergoes a rewire the entire electrical system is replaced. Light switches, sockets and light fittings will all be removed and replaced with new ones. New wiring will be installed, and channels will be cut into your walls to allow this to occur. A new fuse board, or consumer unit, that is compliant with all current safety regulations will be fitted. Before the rewire of your rental property begins consider how your tenants use your property. Are the sockets and switches in convenient places? Would an additional socket in the kitchen make it easier to use? Your rewire electrician will add sockets and switches wherever you feel they are most convenient. You can also take this opportunity to install upgrades such as electric showers or outdoor sockets to make your property more up to date and appealing to tenants. 

Rewires are carried out in two stages, known as the first and second fix. The messiest, most disruptive stage of rewiring your rental property is the first fix. This is when the electrician installs new cabling and back boxes and is when they will lift floorboards and make channels in the walls. After the first fix, a plasterer will attend to make things ready for the second fix to begin. During the second fix stage of rewiring, the electrician will install lighting fixtures, faceplates for sockets and switches and commission the new fuse board. Once this has been done, the electrical installation will be certified and registered with building control under Part P of the building regulations. 

When is the best time to have a rental property rewired?

There is no getting around it, rewiring a property is a messy process. Your electrician will need full access to every room in your Bracknell rental property. As previously mentioned, they will need to lift floorboards and cut new channels into the walls. The power will be off for extended periods and some rooms will be out of bounds entirely whilst work proceeds. To minimise disruption, it is easiest if the property is empty (ideally between tenants) when rewiring is undertaken. In practice this is not always possible and so here at Thames Valley Electricians we work hard to minimise disruption and work around your tenants should they need to stay at your property.

If you are considering rewiring your rental property in Bracknell and would like to consult your local rewire specialist, contact us here at Thames Valley Electricians. Our electricians are all fully qualified, NICEIC registered and highly experienced. Call us today.