Landlord Electrical Safety in Aberdeen: EICRs, the Repairing Standard and HMOs

If you let property in Aberdeen, you are bound by the same Scottish rules as a landlord in Glasgow or Edinburgh. Where Aberdeen differs is the property itself: a lot of older granite tenement flats, student lets near the universities and some HMOs. This guide covers the main electrical points. Rules and guidance are updated from time to time, so always check the current position with the Scottish Government or your local council.

The Repairing Standard in short

The Repairing Standard is the legal minimum condition a private rented home in Scotland must meet. For electrics, it means the installation must be safe, and any electrical appliances the landlord provides must be safe too. Our separate guide on EICRs for Scottish landlords goes into the five-year rule and tenant copies in more detail.

EICRs: what Aberdeen landlords should expect

An Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) is an inspection and test of the fixed wiring. Landlords need a satisfactory report at least every five years, and sooner if the electrician recommends it. Any observations are coded by severity, and urgent faults have to be put right so the property meets the standard.

Appliances you provide

Fridges, cookers, washing machines and kettles that you supply as part of the let need to be safe. Portable appliance testing (PAT) is the usual way to evidence that, and it is often done in the same visit as the EICR.

HMOs and student lets

If a property is let to three or more unrelated people it is likely to need an HMO licence from the local authority. HMO licensing comes with its own safety requirements, and councils can ask for up-to-date electrical safety evidence. If you let rooms to students or workers, check the current requirements directly with Aberdeen City Council or Aberdeenshire Council before you apply or renew.

Older flats: what we often find

In older flats, the usual findings are old consumer units without RCD protection, a lack of bonding, damaged or ageing cable and DIY alterations by previous owners or tenants. None of these are unusual, but they are exactly the sort of thing an EICR is there to find.

Alarms and carbon monoxide

Scottish rules also cover interlinked smoke alarms, heat alarms and carbon monoxide detection. These are separate duties from the EICR, but they are easy to sort during the same visit, so it is worth arranging them together.