Electrical safety policy
Introduction
As your landlord, we are committed to ensuring your home remains safe, this includes electrical safety. This policy explains how we do this.
Our commitment to you
As your landlord, Cross Keys Homes (CKH) is committed to keeping your home safe and well maintained. By law, we must complete an electrical safety inspection at least every five years. You must allow us access to your home so that we can carry out these essential checks.
We also carry out an electrical safety inspection before a new resident moves into a home, even if the previous inspection was completed less than five years ago.
Managing electrical safety
We will take all reasonable steps to identify, assess, and manage electrical safety risks within our homes and buildings. We will:
- Maintain an open and transparent approach with residents, colleagues, contractors and regulatory bodies.
- Ensure appropriate arrangements are in place to inspect, test and maintain electrical installations for which we are responsible every 5 years.
- Use appropriately qualified and competent contractors to carry out electrical safety activities.
- Maintain appropriate records relating to electrical safety inspections, testing and repair works.
- Provide residents with an up to date Electrical Installation Condition Report within 28 days of completing the test.
- Respond to electrical safety concerns raised by residents and ensure appropriate action is taken.
- Monitor health and safety risks and compliance.
- Maintain clearly defined policies, procedures and responsibilities.
- Work with independent specialist auditors each month.
- Provide monthly safety and compliance reports to our Directors team and Board.
Electrical safety inspections
We will contact you before your electrical safety inspection is due to make an appointment.
The safety inspection can take up to 4 hours and requires access to the fuseboard as well as sockets and switches throughout the home. The electricity will be turned off for a short period time. If a repair is needed, this will take place either as part of the inspection or a separate appointment will be arranged if more detailed work is required.
Allowing access to your home so we can complete essential health and safety inspections is a condition of your tenancy. If we do not gain access to your home to complete this safety inspection, we will continue to attempt to contact you. We use various contact methods including emails, text messages, letters and home visits, as well as working with third-party agencies as required (for example third party authorities or Adult Social Services).
In the unlikely event that access is not granted, we will take legal action to gain access to your home.
Your responsibilities
You must allow us access to your home to complete an electrical safety inspection when we contact you to arrange an appointment.
You have a responsibility to tell us about any repairs needed to your home as soon as possible. You can do this by calling us on 01733 385000 24/7. You can also report repairs that are not emergencies through MyCKH or by speaking to your Scheme/Temporary Manager if you live in Retirement Housing or Temporary Accommodation.
If you install an electric cooker, you must ensure that your cooker is installed safely by a qualified professional.
If you have any concerns about electricity in your home, please speak to us.
You should not carry out any changes to the fabric of your home or fitting and fixtures without speaking to us and getting permission first.
Further information:
This policy applies to electrical installations within properties and buildings owned or managed by CKH where we have responsibility for their maintenance and safety management. This includes communal electrical installations and associated infrastructure where applicable. Residents are required to provide access for electrical safety inspections in accordance with their tenancy agreement and relevant legislation.
Who is responsible for managing Electrical Safety?
The Executive Director of Corporate Services is responsible for this policy and the Assistant Director of Asset Management is responsible for the overall management of electrical safety.
Legislation and regulation
This policy is written in accordance with the following regulatory and legislative requirements:
- Safety and Quality Standard.
- Transparency, Influence and Accountability Standard.
- Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.
- Landlord and Tenant Act 1985.
- Housing Act 2004, including the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS).
- Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.
- Electricity at Work Regulations 1989.
- Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020.
- Equality Act 2010.
- Building Safety Act 2022 (where applicable).
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
We understand that some residents might have unique situations, such as medical conditions, disabilities, or vulnerabilities, which may require us to adjust how we provide our services. This commitment aligns with the Equality Act 2010. We also recognise that disabilities or other challenges can be hidden or temporary. We depend on residents or those supporting them to inform us about any additional needs they have, and to update us if these needs change, so we can respond accordingly.
Here are some examples of how we might implement this policy:
- Carrying out health and safety repairs that would typically be the resident's responsibility.
- Adjusting our service standards or timeframes where a delay would put a resident at increased risk because of a disability or health condition.
- An adjustment to how we communicate with our residents to meet their specific needs. For example, providing information in alternative ways for people who are visually or hearing impaired.
For further information please see our Residents Preference Strategy
Information sharing
Cross Keys Homes has an information sharing agreement with key agencies and contractors to share information in relation to the delivery of our services. Information shared must be relevant and the Data Protection Procedure adhered to when handling data. You can find more information about how we manage your data in our Transparency and Privacy Policy.
Monitoring and review
The Electrical Safety Policy was written by the Assistant Director of Asset Management and approved by the Executive Director of Corporate Services in January 2026 and will be reviewed annually - next review January 2027
Other related policies