A tenant reports an electric shock: what the landlord should do next

A shock from a socket, switch, fitting or supplied appliance is a warning of a potentially fatal fault. Deal with any injury first, keep people away from the suspect item, isolate it, and get a qualified electrician to investigate before anything is used again. A current inspection report does not answer a new shock report.

What has happened

A tenant reports feeling a shock or tingle from a socket, light switch, appliance, tap or metal fitting, or describes buzzing, burning smells, scorching or repeated tripping. Any of these can indicate a live fault, poor earthing or a failing appliance. The landlord's standing duty under the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 is to keep the fixed installation safe, inspected at least every five years, with remedial work done within 28 days of a report requiring it; a reported shock turns that standing duty into an urgent investigation, whatever the last inspection date.

Immediate actions

Deal with the person first: if anyone is injured, unconscious or unwell, call the emergency services, and do not touch someone who may still be in contact with a live source. Tell the resident to stop using the suspect socket, switch, fitting or appliance and to keep clear. Where it can be done safely, isolate the affected circuit at the consumer unit or unplug and stop using the appliance. Arrange an urgent visit by a qualified, competent electrician to investigate, isolate and make safe. Give the resident clear interim advice on what not to use and what to do if symptoms or signs worsen.

What not to do

Do not simply reset a tripped breaker and tell the tenant to carry on. Do not send an unqualified handyperson to "have a look" at a suspected live fault. Do not wait for the next scheduled EICR, and do not dismiss a "small tingle" as trivial, as it can signal a dangerous earthing fault. Do not let a landlord-supplied appliance involved in a shock go back into use without a competent check.

Who is responsible

The landlord (or agent under the management agreement) is responsible for the safety of the fixed electrical installation and any electrical appliances they supply, and must arrange competent investigation and repair. Only a qualified, competent electrician should diagnose and remedy the fault and confirm safety. The resident should stop using the item, allow urgent access, and seek medical advice if hurt. Where the shock involves the tenant's own appliance, the landlord still deals with the installation side and advises the tenant on their equipment.

Evidence and records

Record the report (what, where, when, any injury), the interim isolation and advice given, the electrician's findings, the remedial work and the confirmation the installation or appliance is safe to use again, plus any updated EICR or minor works certificate. If anyone was injured, note whether the incident is reportable (an electric shock causing certain injuries can be reportable under RIDDOR) and keep the evidence.

Escalation

Escalate a serious injury to the emergency services at once. Escalate to isolate the whole supply if the fault cannot be localised safely. Where an inspection reveals wider defects, treat it under the scheduled remedial route: see unsatisfactory EICR remedial work. A local authority can act where electrical safety duties are not met, so keep the investigation open and evidenced until the installation is confirmed safe.

Prevention

Keep the EICR on a five-year cycle with reminders, act on report recommendations within the required timeframe, PAT-check or replace supplied appliances on a sensible cycle, and make it easy for residents to report electrical symptoms early. A record showing inspection dates, remedial actions and appliance history makes a shock report faster to investigate and easier to evidence.

Where Complys can help

Complys can hold each property's EICR, remedial actions, supplied-appliance records and repair history, flag the five-year inspection and 28-day remedial deadlines, and keep the report-to-resolution trail together. It does not carry out electrical work or judge whether an installation is safe; a qualified electrician does. Ask the Complys team to demonstrate the electrical-record and deadline workflow against a real shock report.