Portable Appliance Testing (PAT)

Portable Appliance Testing is the routine checking of plug-in electrical items, things like kettles, toasters, lamps or portable heaters, to make sure they are safe to use. It usually involves a visual inspection (looking for damaged plugs, frayed flexes, scorch marks) and electrical tests carried out with a PAT testing device. Safe items are normally labelled with a sticker showing the test date and result.

In ordinary private rented homes in England and Wales there is no specific law saying landlords must carry out PAT tests every year. However, landlords are legally required to ensure any electrical appliances they supply are safe throughout the tenancy, and PAT is widely treated as best practice, a practical way to prove that duty has been met.

Some situations go further HMO licensing conditions and many local authority schemes effectively make PAT testing compulsory, and in Scotland it is already a legal requirement for most rented properties.

See the Decent Homes Standard.