Unsafe electrics in a rented home: who pays?

A dangerous socket is a repair to report, not a DIY job.

The answer in 2 lines. In England, your landlord is responsible for keeping the fixed electrical installation safe and in repair, including wiring, sockets and the consumer unit. You normally look after simple everyday tasks such as replacing light bulbs and keeping your own appliances safe. Damage caused by you or your visitors may be your responsibility, but that does not make electrical DIY safe. Stop using anything suspect, report the fault promptly in writing and keep evidence. Continue paying rent while you pursue repairs.

The first steps

Stop using the affected socket or appliance. Switch off the affected circuit only if the consumer unit is safe to approach and you can identify the switch.
Record the fault safely. Photograph visible damage without touching it; note smells, noises, trips and when they happen.
Contact your landlord immediately. Use the emergency repair contact for an urgent fault, then confirm everything in writing.

Stop: danger

Smoke, flames or an immediate threat to life: get out, stay out and call 999.
Exposed wires, scorching or a burning smell: keep people away and request urgent attention. Do not remove covers or test the fault yourself.
A wet or damaged consumer unit: do not touch it or approach through water. Keep clear and seek urgent help.

Who normally pays?

Landlord: faults in fixed wiring, sockets, light fittings and the consumer unit, including deterioration through age or ordinary use.
Tenant: ordinary household tasks such as replacing an accessible light bulb, where safe, and maintaining their own electrical appliances.
Damage caused by occupants or visitors: you may have to meet reasonable repair costs. Ask for the cause and costs in writing; report the hazard without waiting for that dispute to be settled.
Landlord-supplied appliances: the landlord must ensure they are safe. Responsibility for a particular repair or replacement can also depend on the tenancy and circumstances.

The GOV.UK repairs guidance sets out the main responsibilities. Read its repair and tenant-responsibility sections before agreeing to pay for work.

Ask for the electrical inspection report

For tenancies covered by England's electrical safety regulations, ask for the latest Electrical Installation Condition Report, usually called an EICR. Check the property address, inspection date, overall result and next inspection date.

The government's electrical safety guidance explains coverage, reports and remedial work. Use its report section to understand an unsatisfactory result. A recommendation for improvement does not automatically mean the whole installation needs replacing. Equally, a previously satisfactory report does not excuse ignoring a new fault.

What not to do

Replacing a socket or switch yourself because it appears to be a small repair.
Repeatedly resetting a circuit that trips without establishing the cause.
Withholding rent or deducting an electrician's bill without specialist advice.
Treating an old-looking consumer unit as proof that replacement is legally required.

Send a useful written repair request

Include your address, the affected room and fitting, when you noticed the problem and any safe photographs. Explain whether there is scorching, heat, exposed wiring or loss of an essential service. Say what you have stopped using and ask when a qualified electrician will attend.

Keep the message, replies and appointment records together. Offer reasonable access and ask for confirmation that the fault has been made safe. The GOV.UK safe-home guide explains reporting hazards and cooperating with repairs; use its tenant advice to prepare your request.

If repairs are delayed in England

For a private tenancy, report an unresolved electrical hazard to your council's private housing or environmental health team. Enter your postcode in GOV.UK's council finder, open the council website and search for 'private rented housing repairs'. Send your evidence and correspondence.

For social housing, use your landlord's urgent repair service and formal complaints procedure. Electrical safety regulations now cover social rented homes too. Ask the council housing enforcement team how the rules apply if the hazard remains unresolved.

These routes describe England. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have different housing rules and procedures.

Good to know

Under the government guidance checked in 2026, covered installations need inspection at least every 5 years, or sooner if the report requires it.
An existing tenant should receive the installation report within 28 days of the inspection; a new tenant should receive it before occupation.
Required investigative or remedial work normally has a 28-day limit, or a shorter period specified in the report. An immediate danger must not be treated as safe to leave until that limit.

Illustrative example: in Nottingham, Aisha notices a scorched kitchen socket. She stops using it, reports it urgently and emails a photograph. The landlord arranges an electrician to inspect the socket and circuit. Aisha keeps the repair record and continues paying rent while the work is resolved.

A made-up story, for illustration.

Bobby

Sources, verification, confidence

Verified on 4 November 2026, for England. Confidence: high for landlord responsibility for fixed electrics, inspection intervals and the reporting route; medium for disputed damage and appliance repair costs, which depend on evidence and tenancy terms. The current government guidance includes social rented homes; the transitional initial-check deadline for older social tenancies was before 1 November 2026.