As a landlord, it’s important to make sure your tenants are safe. As you know, it’s also required by law that landlords keep properties safe. That includes home electrical safety.
“Under state law,” according to the Washington State Residential Landlord-Tenant Act, “landlords must start repairs within 24 hours if the problem has left [a tenant] without hot or cold water, heat, or electricity – ‘or is imminently hazardous to life.’”
Landlords must also “[a]ssure that all electrical, plumbing, heating, and other facilities and appliances supplied with the apartment are in ‘reasonably good working order.’ This does NOT apply to appliances that [tenants] brought into the apartment [themselves].”*
How can you make sure that the electrical systems on your properties are in good working order — and that they stay that way?
We have some advice for landlords about how to adhere to good home electrical safety.
Inspect Your Properties
Start by inspecting the electrical components of your property In between tenants or once a year. Start by using the Homeowner’s Residential Electrical Inspection Guidelines by Washington State Labor & Industries (L&I). This document is a list of the most common violations that L&I sees and is not intended to be a comprehensive list.
Make Sure You Have A Reliable Circuit Breaker Panel
It’s essential to have a properly installed circuit breaker panel in each residential property that you’re managing. Make sure yours is installed and inspected by a professional.
The L&I document notes that “Electrical panels shall be readily accessible and shall not be located in bathrooms or in the vicinity of easily ignitable materials such as clothes closets.” (NEC 230.70 & 240.24)
It’s also important to make sure that you have a quality panel at your property.
Unfortunately, some products aren’t reliable and can even be dangerous. We recommend replacing circuit breaker panels manufactured by Federal Pacific Electric Panels, which were ubiquitous in homes built in the 1950s through the 1980s. They’re linked to numerous electrical fires due to faulty manufacturing and design. Read more about Federal Pacific breakers on Angi.
You should also replace GTE Sylvania (Zinsco) electrical panels and circuit breakers. Failure of the internal connections in their circuit breakers can lead to overloading, arcing, melting, and possible fire. Learn how to identify a Sylvania (Zinsco) panel and breaker on InspectAPedia.
Install And Inspect GFCI Outlets
GFCI outlets (ground fault circuit interrupters) have sensors in them that monitor and detect the flow of electrical current. When one of these outlets detects a fault (abnormal electrical flow), it shuts off.
This safety feature is required by the National Electrical Code in newly constructed kitchens, bathrooms, other places where water and electricity are near each other.
The L&I document cited above says: “At dwellings, ground-fault circuit-interrupter (GFCI) protection shall be provided for the kitchen dishwasher branch circuit and for all receptacle outlets in bathrooms, garages, crawl spaces, unfinished basements, kitchen countertops, laundry areas, boathouses, outdoors and within 6 feet of sinks, bathtubs, and shower stalls. All GFCIs shall be readily accessible.” (NEC 210.8. Emphasis ours.)
As a landlord, it’s a good idea to replace any standard outlets outdoors or near sources of water in older residences that you manage with GFCI outlets on older properties. They prevent serious injury and indicate due diligence.
When you do a walkthrough with new tenants, educate them about how to reset these outlets if they stop working. They simply need to push the “reset” button.
Extension Cord Best Practices
Educate your tenants on safe use of extension cords. Here’s what we recommend you communicate to them:
- If you need to secure an extension cord to a wall or floor, do so with tape. Don’t ever use staples or nails.
- Use an extension cord rated for the amount of amperage wattage you need.
- Unplug any cord that’s warm or hot. This can indicate faulty wiring. Inspect extension cords before using them. If one is damaged or has a lot of wear and tear, throw it away.
- Do not overload a single outlet with too many power bars and extension cords.
- Don’t use extension cords as a permanent solution. They’re only meat to temporarily supply a particular area with power.
- Don’t use indoor extension cords outdoors. Instead, use an outdoor cord. Do not drive over or park on extension cords.
Fix Flickering Lights And Other Electrical Anomalies
When you inspect your properties and do walkthroughs with new tenants, watch for flickering lights, warm outlets or lightswitch covers, or otherwise odd electrical occurrences.
Flickering lights and warm-to-the-touch electrical components can be a sign of loose or damaged wiring, which can lead to fire or serious injury.
Bring in a professional to make sure it’s done right. L&I strongly urges homeowners to hire licensed electricians to fix electrical systems.
*This quoted material is a paraphrase from a blog post by Solid Ground titled “What repairs are landlords in Washington state required to make?”