Register your appliance to help keep tenants safe

Landlords are being encouraged to register appliances provided in their rental properties, to help keep tenants safe.

The annual Register My Appliance campaign starts on Monday and invites people to register their details, enabling them to receive updates on product safety and recalls of faulty goods.

Organisers, the Association of Manufacturers of Domestic Appliances (AMDEA) said that, although rare, when manufacturers do detect issues with products it can be hard to trace customers as there is no requirement for people to provide contact details when they buy goods. 

The association said that registering appliances means you can rest assured that any safety concerns will be flagged, and that registering can also save you money by entitling you to an extended warranty or guarantee period.

To register a new appliance or an existing one, click here.

Portable appliance safety for landlords

A portable appliance is defined as any appliance that can be unplugged from a power supply and moved.

Landlords are not legally obliged to carry out portable appliance tests (PAT) on products within their rental property (unless part of a licensing condition) although the HSE recommend you perform a visual inspection to ensure it is safe.

When you provide an electrical appliance as part of a tenancy agreement, the law expects the appliance will be maintained 'to a level which does not cause harm to the tenant'.

Who should carry out the checks?

Landlords can carry out their own checks, with the NRLA's Training Academy offering a Portable Appliance Testing course, as well as guidance for members. 

However, if you don't feel comfortable doing this, you can employ a professional to do the work for you.

If you’re looking for a qualified person to test appliances for you and provide the relevent certificates, the NRLA’s compliance arm, Safe2 can help. With a 5% discount for NRLA members on all property safety certificates arranged, click here to get started.