We previously explored in detail the new electrical safety requirements for social housing providers in our blog posts here and here. The new requirements are now in force (as of 1 May 2026) for existing tenancies (those granted before 1 December 2025). 

Social landlords must ensure that by 1 November 2026, electrical installations have been inspected and tested by a qualified person, electrical equipment provided under the tenancy has been checked by a qualified person and all other obligations under the regulations are met.

Social housing providers must ensure that their systems, data and processes can support compliance and are robust enough to withstand regulatory scrutiny. 

In light of this, social housing providers should review the following key areas when assessing compliance with the regulations:

• Data: A sensible starting point is data. Providers should be able to evidence at any point in time the compliance position across their stock, including that it has a complete asset register, clear inspection dates, accessible reports and a reliable audit trail showing remedial works have been completed in accordance with prescribed timescales. Gaps or inconsistencies in the underlying data create a very significant risk of non-compliance.

  Where issues are identified, the response should be structured and risk-based. Overdue inspections and outstanding remedial works should be prioritised, especially in higher-risk stock or where tenants may be more vulnerable. Providers able to identify non-compliance and show a considered plan to address it will be in a far stronger position than those who cannot clearly explain their compliance status.

• Electrical equipment: The extension of the regime to electrical equipment may be the more immediate challenge. For many providers, the difficulty is less in checking equipment than in deciding what falls within scope. That will require a review of tenancy agreements and historic practice. Equipment provided to tenants via local authority furniture packages may fall within the scope of the new requirements. Providers cannot possibly comply with their requirements to check equipment if they do not know what to check.  

• Policy versus practice: Policy updates matter, but they will not be enough on their own. The key question is whether day-to-day delivery matches the policy, including whether staff and contractors have been trained on the updated requirements and any resulting changes to operational delivery. In any enforcement context, providers will need to show not only that appropriate policies existed, but that they were applied consistently in practice.
• Contractor oversight: As touched on above, contractor oversight will be central. Providers should be satisfied that contractors are appropriately qualified, understand the new legal requirements and that there is meaningful quality assurance of their work, for example through sampling reports to check consistency and timely identification and follow-up of recommended works. Without that assurance, it may be difficult to show compliance is being achieved in practice.

• Access arrangements: Access remains a persistent challenge and a key area of regulatory focus. The ‘all reasonable steps’ defence is likely to succeed only where there is clear evidence of a structured approach to gaining entry, including records of attempted visits, tenant engagement and escalation. Providers should ensure those procedures are not just in place, but are consistently followed and documented.

• Information sharing: Electrical safety should also be viewed within the wider compliance landscape. Issues identified through inspections may engage duties under other regulatory frameworks (e.g., duties under the Building Safety Act 2022 for higher-risk buildings), so effective information-sharing between teams will be essential to managing overlapping risks and obligations.

Key takeaways

As expectations continue to rise, social housing providers should expect closer scrutiny of how they manage electrical safety in practice. Providers who understand their data, have a firm grasp on the scope of their obligations and can demonstrate effective operational delivery will be best placed to secure compliance and manage scrutiny and enforcement risk.

For more information

If you would like support with any of the areas discussed above, or to speak with the regulatory team about how we can help, please contact us.