PAT (Portable Appliance Testing) covers every landlord-supplied portable electrical appliance in a Canterbury rental — fridges, washing machines, kettles, microwaves, lamps, hairdryers and even the cooker hood. Canterbury's rental market is dominated by student HMOs around the University of Kent, Canterbury Christ Church and the city walls, plus a healthy supply of professional lets in Wincheap, St Dunstan's and Sturry Road. HMOs and listed buildings push compliance burden well above the national average for a town this size.
If you have a licensed House in Multiple Occupation in Canterbury, your local authority's HMO licence will almost certainly require annual PAT testing as a condition. Failing to provide test records on request can lead to licence revocation and Improvement Notices.
A registered tester (typically a Canterbury electrician with City & Guilds 2377 or equivalent) will:
Most Canterbury testers charge a callout fee plus per-appliance rate. Typical pricing: callout £40–£60, then £1.50–£3 per appliance. A 2-bed furnished flat usually has 8–15 testable items (about £60–£100 total). HMOs with kitchens and shared lounges can hit 30–50 items.
Technically, the law doesn't require a specific qualification — but in practice, you need calibrated test equipment (PAT tester, £400+) and the City & Guilds 2377 certificate to produce records that hold up to scrutiny from Canterbury's council or your insurer. Most landlords find it cheaper to pay a local tester.
The IET Code says new appliances should have a visual check before first use, then enter the standard PAT cycle. Many landlords ask the tester to PAT a new appliance immediately so the test register is complete.
EICR tests the fixed electrical installation (consumer unit, sockets, switches, fixed wiring). PAT tests anything that plugs in. You need both, and they should be done by competent electricians — but it's the same person on most Canterbury jobs.
An appliance can pass PAT and still be unsafe in use — for example, a microwave with damaged door seals will pass electrical tests but fail a visual. A good PAT register records both the electrical results and visual notes.
There's no statutory requirement to hand over the PAT register, but most letting agents in Canterbury include it in the move-in pack alongside the EICR and CP12 — it's a useful liability shield if the tenant later claims an appliance caused damage.
Tell us how many appliances and we'll forward your enquiry to Canterbury testers.