Landlord-Supplied Appliances: What Can Easily Get Missed?
Landlord-Supplied Appliances: What Can Easily Get Missed?
When landlords think about PAT testing, the obvious appliances usually come to mind first. Fridges, washing machines, microwaves and televisions are easy to remember because they are larger items and often part of the property inventory.
The items that get missed are usually the smaller, everyday appliances. These are the things that blend into the property, sit in cupboards, move between rooms, or get added during a tenancy without much thought.
For landlords with furnished or part-furnished rental properties, it is worth taking a wider view of what has actually been supplied for the tenant to use.
Relevant for: landlords, furnished flats, rental properties, small property portfolios, tenancy changeovers, student lets, HMOs, landlord-supplied appliances and local rental properties.
The simple question to ask
A useful starting point is this: has the landlord supplied the electrical item for use in the property?
If the answer is yes, it should be considered as part of the appliance safety records. That does not mean every item has to be treated in exactly the same way, but it does mean it should not be forgotten simply because it is small, cheap or kept out of sight.
This is one of the reasons annual PAT testing can be helpful. Instead of trying to keep track of every retest date, appliance list and risk assessment yourself, a regular annual visit gives you a clear routine and a report for your records.
The obvious appliances are not usually the problem
Most landlords will remember the larger appliances. A fridge, freezer, washing machine, tumble dryer, microwave or television is usually easy to identify because it is clearly part of the rental property.
These items should be included when arranging PAT testing if they are supplied by the landlord. They may be used daily, may remain in the property for years, and may be relied on by each tenant who moves in.
The bigger risk from a record-keeping point of view is that smaller items are missed because they feel less important. In practice, those smaller items can still be used regularly and should still be considered.
Small appliances can easily blend into the property
A furnished flat may have bedside lamps, table lamps, a kettle, toaster, iron, vacuum cleaner, router, fan, portable heater, chargers or small kitchen appliances.
Some of these items are used every day. Others may sit in a cupboard until needed. Either way, if they are supplied by the landlord, they are part of the equipment being provided with the property.
This is where appliances can easily be missed. A vacuum cleaner in a hall cupboard, a lamp in a bedroom, or a fan stored under a bed might not be noticed when arranging a PAT testing visit unless someone has walked through the property properly.
Appliances can change between tenancies
Rental properties change over time. An appliance may be replaced, removed, stored away or added during a tenancy. A landlord might buy a new kettle, replace a lamp, add a microwave, or leave a vacuum cleaner in the property for tenant use.
None of this is unusual, but it does mean the appliance record can quickly become out of date if it is not reviewed.
A tenancy changeover is a useful point to check what is still in the property and what has changed. I have covered this wider changeover point in PAT Testing Between Tenancies: What Landlords Should Think About.
Annual PAT testing keeps the process simpler
Landlords already have plenty to manage. Tenants, repairs, inventories, cleaning, safety records and changeovers can all create admin. Appliance safety should not become more complicated than it needs to be.
An annual PAT testing routine gives the landlord a simple system. Once a year, the supplied appliances are checked, the report is updated, and any failed, damaged or unsuitable items can be dealt with.
For many landlords, that is easier than trying to manage separate risk assessments, retest dates and appliance records manually. It creates a clear habit and helps avoid uncertainty over what has or has not been checked.
New items should not be forgotten
New appliances are often added between PAT testing visits. A landlord may replace a kettle, buy a new microwave, install a new fridge or add a lamp to a bedroom.
New equipment should normally arrive in good condition, but it should still be visually checked and added to the records. If it is now part of the property, it should not be missed from the appliance list.
Our guide Do New Appliances Need PAT Testing Straight Away? explains this in more detail.
Failed or damaged items should be dealt with
If a landlord-supplied appliance is damaged, unsafe or unsuitable, it should not simply be left in the property for the next tenant to use.
A clear PAT testing report helps identify what has been checked and whether anything needs attention. If an item fails, it can be repaired, replaced or removed from service.
I have covered this separately in What Happens If an Appliance Fails a PAT Test?.
A clear record is the main benefit
For landlords, PAT testing is not just about the label on the appliance. The report is often the most useful part because it gives a clear record of the landlord-supplied items checked at that point in time.
That record can sit with the property paperwork and be updated each year. If appliances are replaced or added later, the next visit gives a simple opportunity to bring everything back up to date.
This is the real value of a regular routine. It keeps the appliance side of compliance clearer, easier to manage and less dependent on memory.
Thorn PAT Testing’s approach
Thorn PAT Testing provides local PAT testing for landlords, small businesses and workplaces across Glasgow, Bearsden, Milngavie and East Dunbartonshire.
For landlords, the service can help identify landlord-supplied electrical appliances, carry out visual inspection and testing where required, and provide a clear digital report for your records. An annual visit is a simple way to keep the process organised without creating more admin than necessary.
Need PAT testing for a rental property?
If you are unsure what landlord-supplied appliances should be included, Thorn PAT Testing can help check the everyday items provided with your rental property and supply a clear report for your records.
You can view the main PAT testing service information, check current pricing, or request an instant quote online.
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