PAT testing for landlords: what the rules actually say

For a private landlord in England on a standard let: no. No statute names PAT testing, and HSE's own myth-busting page says portable appliance testing is not compulsory and that the law does not require it to be done annually. What the law does require is that electrical equipment is maintained so it doesn't become dangerous — and for rentals, the government's How to Let guide recommends regular portable appliance testing on any appliances you provide, with records to the tenant.

So the honest framing is: the duty is appliance safety; PAT is the evidence. If the washing machine you supplied catches fire, the question a court or council asks is whether you took reasonable steps to keep it safe. A dated PAT record, or even a documented visual inspection at each changeover, is exactly that evidence. Nothing, year after year, is not.

One scope point that catches people out: the duty only covers appliances you supply. The tenant's own kettle, toaster and bedroom fan heater are theirs. That's a good reason to keep the inventory's appliance list accurate — it defines the boundary of what you're responsible for testing.

Risk-based, not annual. HSE is blunt that 'PAT every year' is a myth that suits the people selling the testing, and the IET's Code of Practice — the document PAT testers work to — dropped its old fixed-frequency table entirely in favour of risk assessment.

For rented property, Electrical Safety First's best-practice guide gives the recognised pattern: a visual inspection every year or at every change of tenancy, whichever comes first, and a full PAT test up to every five years for earthed (Class I) equipment like washing machines, ovens and kettles — double-insulated (Class II) items generally only need the visual check. New appliances don't need testing in their first year; second-hand appliances should be tested before you supply them.

The efficient habit for landlords: have all supplied appliances tested in one visit, timed alongside the five-yearly EICR, and do the quick visual yourself at each changeover — plug casings, flexes, scorch marks — while you're checking the alarms anyway.

Licensed HMOs: the duty hardens. Mandatory licence conditions under Schedule 4 of the Housing Act 2004 require the licence holder to keep every appliance and item of furniture they supply in a safe condition, and to give the council a declaration of their safety on demand. A current PAT record is how HMO landlords answer that demand without scrambling; our HMO compliance checklist shows where it sits in the wider stack.

Social landlords: since 1 November 2025, registered providers must have landlord-supplied electrical equipment checked at least every five years, with remedial work within 28 days — a statutory appliance-testing duty added when the electrical safety regulations were extended to the social sector. That duty does not apply to private landlords, but it's a clear signal of the direction of travel, and the government guidance covering both sectors is worth a bookmark.

And the boundary either side of PAT: the EICR covers the fixed installation — wiring, sockets, the consumer unit — never the appliances; the government's electrical safety guidance draws exactly that line. One doesn't stand in for the other.

Budget for the minimum charge, not the per-item rate. Testers price at roughly £1 to £3 per appliance with a call-out minimum of £50 to £100 — and since a typical single let has 10 to 20 landlord-supplied items, the minimum is usually the bill: £50 to £100 all-in. Minor fixes are pennies on top: a fuse around 25p, a plug rewire £1.50 or so.

The per-item economics only matter at HMO and portfolio scale, where 50-plus items across a property or a street brings the unit rate into play — and where bundling PAT with the EICR visit saves a second call-out.

If you'd rather not ring round, FixQuotes returns three quotes for the same job from qualified local electricians — PAT alone, or PAT bundled with an EICR — free for landlords and letting agents. Start at our electrical quotes page.