PAT for Landlords, HMOs, Holiday Lets & Static Caravans
As a landlord or holiday home owner, you’re legally responsible for making sure every electrical item in your property is safe for use. At Border Testing, we make that simple, affordable, and hassle‑free.
We provide professional Portable Appliance Testing for landlords, letting agents, and holiday‑let owners throughout Carlisle, Cumbria, and the Southwest of Scotland — helping you meet your safety obligations, protect your tenants and guests, and keep your paperwork up to date with same‑day certificates and flexible booking options.
Why Landlords Should Arrange Regular PAT Testing
If your property includes items such as TVs, kettles, toasters, heaters, or lamps, each needs regular safety checks to ensure ongoing reliability.
Routine PAT testing helps you:
- Comply with landlord and HMO safety regulations
- Provide evidence for insurers and letting agents
- Safeguard tenants and guests from potential electrical faults
- Avoid downtime, complaints, or lost bookings due to faulty appliances
Whether it’s a long‑term rental, short‑term let, Airbnb, or serviced accommodation, PAT testing is essential for maintaining a safe and well‑managed property.
Top Tip for Landlords
The best time for PAT testing is between tenancies or guest stays. This avoids disruption and ensures everything is checked thoroughly.
- No confusion over which appliances belong to you or the tenant
- Technicians can take their time and carry out any necessary repairs
- No need to coordinate around guests or tenants
- You have time to replace failed items before move‑in
Ideal for Holiday Lets & Airbnbs
We work closely with holiday‑let owners and hosts across Carlisle, Cumbria, and the Southwest of Scotland, providing quick, reliable testing between bookings.
Our team checks electrical items including:
- Kettles, toasters, and microwaves
- TVs and entertainment systems
- Heaters, lamps, and hairdryers
- Irons, vacuums, and cleaning equipment
You can even receive your digital certificate the same day — ready to share with your insurance provider, letting agent, or booking platform.
Flexible Scheduling for Busy Landlords
We know property management can be demanding, so we make testing as straightforward as possible.
We can arrange access with tenants, agents, or key holders directly to save you time. Early‑morning, evening, weekend, and even overnight appointments are available to suit your schedule.
Landlord FAQs
Does a landlord need to do PAT testing?
To make sure electrical equipment is safe, a landlord, like any other business owner, needs to get the electrical appliances provided as part of the tenancy agreement, tested, to make sure they are safe.
They need testing before the tenancy begins, and then should be rechecked at regular intervals throughout the term of the tenancy – it is usual for these checks to be done annually.
Regular PATs will help to reduce the chances of a damaged appliance not being spotted, and thus reduce the risk of fires or electric shock.
This page is intended to provide guidance to Landlords who rent out property that includes electrical appliances. If you know what you need to do and want to arrange your PAT testing, please contact us here.
Do I need to PAT test my tenant’s equipment?
As the landlord you only need to test the equipment you provide, as you have a duty of care to your tenant.
You do not have to test your tenants equipment, but for peace of mind for your own insurance etc you may want to make sure the tenant is using genuine appliances, and correctly.
We come across a lot of situations where the appliances the tenant has don’t meet British Standards. For example, foreign students often bring their 2-pin laptop leads and then use the wrong adaptor or plug straight into our sockets, which can be very dangerous.
How often do I need to get equipment tested?
It depends on the circumstances; you should always get equipment tested at the start of a tenancy before the tenant moves in. Then you need to get equipment checked again, ideally by the same person, within an acceptable time period to minimise risk. In most cases this is done annually, but if you change tenant sooner you’ll need to get a new test done then.
If you find the tenant becomes long term, you may be able to increase the intervals between tests, if the risk allows.
I have an HMO, do I need to get equipment tested for that?
Yes; the same rules apply.
However, some councils have specific rules on HMO’s which may regulate how often you get appliances checked.
Do you charge more for HMO PAT Testing?
No. Arranging HMO PAT testing is no different to any other rental property, unless you supply equipment in bedrooms. In normal rentals its usually only communal appliances that are provided but in an HMO there are sometimes things like wall mounted televisions in the bedrooms. If that is you then we’re going to need access to every room.
Is PAT testing a legal requirement for landlords?
The Housing Act 2004 (England and Wales) includes the requirement for a risk assessment for residential rental properties. This requires an assessment of all potential hazards that may be present in a residential property, and ‘to provide a safe and healthy environment for any potential occupiers or visitors’. From an electrical perspective this includes the electrical installation and equipment provided in the property. The condition of associated leads and plugs of equipment should also be taken into account in the assessment, if they are provided as part of the rental property.
Guidance from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) indicates that when accommodation is re-let, the electrical equipment will be classed as being supplied to that tenant for the first time and should therefore be rechecked.
So, before the start of each new let of a residential property the electrical equipment supplied with it (e.g., fridge, washing machine, kettle, TV, etc.) should be PAT tested.
The Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016 require electrical equipment to be safe when first supplied, e.g. it should carry a genuine “CE” mark. This means it satisfies European safety requirements and so when new, will be safe to use.
These regulations also apply if equipment is supplied as part of a hire agreement, sold second hand and if supplied in the course of business, thus including the safety of electrical equipment that is supplied as part of furnished accommodation (treated as hired/leased).
The Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982 is important for companies that hire or supply equipment as part of a contract for good and services. Within a hire agreement, goods supplied under the contract must be electrically safe for use.