Building Regs Question / The World Is Full Of Idiots

[misssweden]

I ventured to the pub this weekend with a mate. Long story short, I got chatting to a guy and he does a bit of property developing as well as his day job (should be mentioned at this point that he's not an electrician). He told me about this flat that he is currently renovating, and how he had to "move the electricity meter". Alarm bells starts ringing in my head at this point. Apparently, his DNO wanted to do 3 visits to complete the job which he deemed to be far to much of an inconvenience so he decided to move the meter, c/o and also extend the incoming PVC concentric service by himself. Live. His words: "I was really safe and that. Had some rubber gloves and some things to stand on and I used them '100 amp blocks' to extend it with. Had to cut the seals and everything."

Conclusion, the guy is an idiot. And dangerous. And illegal. He did however say when I (possibly not so very politely) pointed it out he just said "it's all safe and anyway, Building Control will be out to sign it off".

Which to me raises the question, what does get signed off by building control? Does Part P (if that's relevant) cover DNO equipment? Also, as it's being rented out, does it need an EICR and if so would it be flagged up on that if the DNO side is looking dodgy? My main concern is for the safety of the future tennant in the flat.

 

[NozSpark]

The guy sounds like he's a danger to himself and others... I hope his DNO find out that he's been modifying their equipment

BTW....It's got nothing to do with Building Control...

 

[misssweden]

I was hoping that if he had someone around to do an EICR it might get flagged up then. But I know ****** all about them things And all I know about part P is that it surprisingly makes it's way through the forum swearing filter and that it doesn't apply to ProDave

 

[Lurch]

Part p has nothing to do with anything that isn't in BS7671. Building control will only want the paperwork relevant to the works carried out, moving DNO equipment is beyond their remit. Whoever does the testing should really see the move as non-legit, but then some "electricians" may not even notice that it isn't right.

I wouldn't be surprised if it got passed and no-one noticed.

 

[Evans Electric]

Yes ,  the meter side is nothing to do with Part Pee  or BS 7671  and is also nothing to do with that guy either .  Mr Clever Cloggs  Eh!

Also there is no legislation on carrying out an EICR  on rented properties  just the provision of Smoke  Alarms .  

Again a half baked decision by whoever  , (Trumpton I suppose)  

Your encounter with that tosser does though ...highlight the totally useless service from the metering brigade ..the ones I've come across lately 

a)    Can't work on 3 ph

b)    Can't work on anything above eye level

c)    One guy had been issued with a boxful of Voltsticks ....half of which didn't work . He actually offered the non working ones to me !!!!

d)    Everything they do involves about 10 visits and much complication by blokes who know ****** all. 

e)    Our customer just requested a meter on a new-build bungalow ,  DNO  coming in 2 weeks to install supply ....metering company want 6 weeks  !!!! . 

It is so pathetic ...just deliver a meter & I'll fit the poxy thing   FFS !!!   Lets get it done .

 

[pewter]

The only requirement is that landlords make lots of money and treat the tenants like dirt.

a £50 gas safety very seems to be all they need. The letting agents are free to charge £500 admin fee to new tenants, fine tenants for normal wear and tear of property's. Kick tenants out if they can make even more money.

No concern for electrical certificates, no rush to fix anything that breaks like the boiler, expect tenants to upgrade and renovate slum properties for free so they can then get kicked out and moved on for someone to pay more rent now it's in a better state.

This country is set up so those with a bit of money can make even more by not doing a lot of effort. Tax breaks and incentives are there for landlords and pain and suffering for the hard working common people.

 

[Evans Electric]

I ventured to the pub this weekend with a mate. Long story short, I got chatting to a guy and he does a bit of property developing as well as his day job (should be mentioned at this point that he's not an electrician). He told me about this flat that he is currently renovating, and how he had to "move the electricity meter". Alarm bells starts ringing in my head at this point. Apparently, his DNO wanted to do 3 visits to complete the job which he deemed to be far to much of an inconvenience so he decided to move the meter, c/o and also extend the incoming PVC concentric service by himself. Live. His words: "I was really safe and that. Had some rubber gloves and some things to stand on and I used them '100 amp blocks' to extend it with. Had to cut the seals and everything."

Conclusion, the guy is an idiot. And dangerous. And illegal. He did however say when I (possibly not so very politely) pointed it out he just said "it's all safe and anyway, Building Control will be out to sign it off".

Which to me raises the question, what does get signed off by building control? Does Part P (if that's relevant) cover DNO equipment? Also, as it's being rented out, does it need an EICR and if so would it be flagged up on that if the DNO side is looking dodgy? My main concern is for the safety of the future tennant in the flat.

I've warned you about veturing into pubs MissSS :innocent

 

[SLIPSHOD & SLAPDASH]

The only requirement is that landlords make lots of money and treat the tenants like dirt.

a £50 gas safety very seems to be all they need. The letting agents are free to charge £500 admin fee to new tenants, fine tenants for normal wear and tear of property's. Kick tenants out if they can make even more money.

No concern for electrical certificates, no rush to fix anything that breaks like the boiler, expect tenants to upgrade and renovate slum properties for free so they can then get kicked out and moved on for someone to pay more rent now it's in a better state.

This country is set up so those with a bit of money can make even more by not doing a lot of effort. Tax breaks and incentives are there for landlords and pain and suffering for the hard working common people.

As a landlord myself and all others i work for i feel these comments are untrue & slanderous. Please tell me where i can get these tax breaks and list of incentives please ?The majority of tenants i visit treat the properties like [email protected] Ripping off kitchen doors, gouging walls with bicycles and prams, dumping old mattress,s in the garden, pulling radiators off the walls is normal procedure that all tenants do then withold the rent untill its fixed by the landlord ?

 

[Blue Duck]

It's all swings and roundabouts some good tenants and some good landlords. The majority I see are shite both on sides.

My Dad recently became a landlord I told him to GET EICR done letting agent told him no need to bother but if he wanted one they would do it for £150...

probably by someone who would ignore a dodgy meter move.

 

[Essex1]

It's all swings and roundabouts some good tenants and some good landlords. The majority I see are shite both on sides.

My Dad recently became a landlord I told him to GET EICR done letting agent told him no need to bother but if he wanted one they would do it for £150...

probably by someone who would ignore a dodgy meter move.

We work for probably the largest landlord in the UK and they test all their properties when they are empty. No exception. The Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 Section 11 states that the landlord 'shall keep in repair and proper working order the installation in the dwelling-house for the supply of water, gas and electricity'. It is excepted that only by testing can this act be met. Guidance Note 3 (2011) also states that rented properties should be inspected every 5 years or change of occupancy. Any landlord that does not follow this guidance, I believe would be open to prosecution if there were to be an accident.

 

[Blue Duck]

yes but that clearly doesn't apply when money is involved. when you say biggest do you mean housing asoc? or private?

@ canoe probably £125 for the agent and £25 to the "electrician" to look it up on Google maps!

really the problem lies at the feet of the letting agents as newbie landlord's(btl) look to them for advice some are really strict with things like smokes and CO and the electrical stuff has to be up to 17th but others could not give a flying fork! so there is no concistancy.

 

[ProDave]

As a landlord myself and all others i work for i feel these comments are untrue & slanderous. Please tell me where i can get these tax breaks and list of incentives please ?

The majority of tenants i visit treat the properties like [email protected] Ripping off kitchen doors, gouging walls with bicycles and prams, dumping old mattress,s in the garden, pulling radiators off the walls is normal procedure that all tenants do then withold the rent untill its fixed by the landlord ?

As an ex landlord I agree.  Tenants are often the lowest of the low.  Their favourite trick is to disable the bathroom fan and then complain about the damp and the mould (hence why my rental properties never had a fan isolator switch)

Contrary to popular belief, landlords don't make a huge amount, not when you take into account all the various fees, maintenance and the growing number of rules and regulations.  I'm currently working my way through a long list of upgrades adding hard wired smoke heat and CO alarms. EICR's are now comulsory as are gas safe certificates, Legionela tests are soon to become a requirement, and in a couple of years all rental properties will need an EPC of E or better, so there's more upgrades for a lot of landlords.

Back to the original topic.  SSS I would have enquired where the flat was and offered to have a look. Then once you know where it is, you could ensure his DNO "finds out".  Is it on your patch, i.e SSE?

 

[M107]

SSS is this local to us?

I had a call on monday afternoon asking if I can test and sign off some electric work done by a 3rd party, house renovation somewhere on strawberry hill behind Bayer.

Turned him down anyway.........wrist hurts

 

[misssweden]

You're probably right Dave but I don't even know this guy's full name, never mind the address of the flat.

And it wasn't local, I believe it was UKPN territory. Getting there involved my pet hate - the M25!

SSS is this local to us?

I had a call on monday afternoon asking if I can test and sign off some electric work done by a 3rd party, house renovation somewhere on strawberry hill behind Bayer.

Turned him down anyway.........wrist hurts

How is your wrist doing? Any improvements?

 

[Essex1]

Excuse me?

 

[kerching]

Excuse me?

Keep,up,at the back please

He had a freak W**KING accident

 

[Blue Duck]

Danger w**k?

:slap

 

[kerching]

Danger w**k?

:slap

Walking can be tricky, as can winking

Just saying!

 

[Essex1]

Danger w**k?

:slap

We have all been there.

 

[Blue Duck]

I hear you work on the railways.? a very dangerous place to go for a w**k.