Professionals needed for electricity and gas repairs

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Landlords should not attempt DIY work on the boilers or electrical wiring of their properties, an industry expert has said.

Andrew Leech, technical consultant to the National Home Improvement Council (NHIC), advised landlords and homeowners to employ professionals for this kind of work, rather than rely on their own skills.

He explained: "They mustn't do anything with their boiler … they mustn't tamper with or try to move their boiler, that's something for the professionals, that's got to be done by a Corgi registered person.

"One thing that people mustn't attempt to do these days is any rewiring in a property… And certainly, if you do, you've got to ask your local authority what is within your possibility of changing."

Mr Leech added that, in the worse case, landlords trying to repair a boiler themselves could cause explosions.

"It's not a common thing, but it does happen from time to time; and when it happens it can be absolutely disastrous. There can be fatalities [or] major demolition of properties as a result of it," he concluded.

Recently, Alan Ward, director of the RLA, said that landlords should not be tempted by the cheapest insurance policies for their properties as these often lacked important cover.

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