PAT Testing (Portable Appliance Testing)

There is no specific law called 'the PAT testing law'. However, the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 require employers to maintain electrical equipment in a safe condition, and PAT testing is the recognised method of doing this. For landlords, providing unsafe appliances breaches multiple housing and safety regulations. In practice, PAT testing is the standard that insurers, local authorities, and courts expect to see.

It depends on the equipment and environment. The IET Code of Practice recommends: IT equipment in offices every 4 years, portable appliances in offices every 2 years, equipment used by the public annually, and power tools on construction sites every 3 months. Your PAT tester will recommend appropriate intervals.

Technically, yes — there is no legal requirement for a specific qualification. However, you must be competent to carry out the tests and interpret the results. For formal compliance records that will satisfy insurers and enforcement bodies, it is strongly advisable to use a trained professional with calibrated equipment.

Class I appliances have a metal casing and rely on an earth connection for safety (kettles, toasters, desktop computers). Class II appliances are double insulated and do not need an earth connection — they are marked with a double-square symbol (phone chargers, most power tools, TVs). The PAT tests differ: Class I appliances require an earth continuity test, Class II do not.

If you are a landlord providing electrical appliances as part of a furnished or part-furnished tenancy, those appliances should be PAT tested before the start of each new tenancy. The fixed installation (wiring, sockets, consumer unit) is covered by the EICR, but any supplied portable appliances are your responsibility to maintain in a safe condition.