What Is PAT Testing and Is It a Legal Requirement?

The law requires electrical equipment that could cause injury to be maintained in a safe condition, but it does not make PAT testing, or testing every year, a legal requirement in itself. While you must keep appliances safe, how you achieve that is up to you, depending on what the equipment is and where it is used. This guide explains the rules for landlords and businesses, what the process involves, and what you can expect to pay.

What is PAT testing?

PAT stands for portable appliance testing. The industry also refers to it as in-service inspection and testing. It is the routine process of checking electrical appliances to make sure they are safe to use. This covers almost any piece of equipment that you plug into a normal wall socket.

Everyday items like kettles, toasters, desk fans, computers, and power tools all fall under this category. Over time, the cables on these items get pulled, bent, and trapped under furniture. Plugs get dropped on the floor, and the internal wiring can slowly work loose. Testing is designed to catch this wear and tear before it becomes dangerous.

Testing your plug-in appliances is completely different from checking the fixed wiring of a building. The hidden cables in your walls, your sockets, and your consumer unit are checked during a separate periodic inspection. That fixed wiring check produces an EICR certificate for your home. PAT testing only deals with the loose items you plug into those sockets.

Most electrical safety defects can be found simply by looking at the equipment closely. However, some types of internal defect can only be found by testing the item electronically. Because of this, a proper check usually combines a thorough visual examination with electronic testing to confirm the appliance is entirely safe.

Is PAT testing a legal requirement?

The short answer is no, PAT testing itself is not a legal requirement. However, employers do have a legal duty to keep electrical equipment that could cause injury in a safe condition.

Under the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, any electrical equipment that has the potential to cause injury must be maintained in a safe condition. These regulations apply to work activities, so they cover employers and the self-employed.

Crucially, the regulations do not specify exactly what needs to be done to keep the equipment safe. They do not dictate who must carry out the maintenance, and they do not state how often it should happen. Because of this, the law does not make inspection or testing of electrical appliances a legal requirement in its own right, nor does it make annual testing compulsory.

Instead, the law leaves the method up to you. Employers should take a risk-based approach, and for equipment that is used a lot and moved around, testing alongside visual checks can be an important part of an effective maintenance regime. If an appliance causes a fire or gives someone a serious electric shock, a record of regular maintenance helps show that a maintenance scheme was in place.

What landlords need to know

If you rent out a property, your responsibilities depend heavily on the type of landlord you are and where the property is located. While the fixed electrical installation in a rented home must be checked periodically, the rules for the plug-in appliances you provide are separate.

Private landlords in England are not legally required to carry out PAT testing on the appliances they supply. However, the government encourages it as best practice for furnished lets. Because of this, many private landlords choose to test the appliances they supply at the start of each tenancy, or annually, to ensure they remain safe for their tenants.

For registered providers of social housing in England, the rules are much stricter. Under the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) (Amendment) (Extension to the Social Rented Sector) Regulations 2025, social landlords must make sure any electrical equipment they provide under a tenancy is safe for continued use.

These regulations require social landlords to have this equipment checked by a qualified person before the tenancy begins. After that, it must be checked again at intervals of no more than five years, or sooner if the last check record demands it. How often social landlords test the appliances is officially set by risk assessment, but evidence of in-service inspection and testing must be provided with the EICR, ensuring it happens at least every five years.

These rules for social landlords came into force on 1 November 2025. For social tenancies granted before 1 December 2025, the rules apply from 1 May 2026, and the first check must take place before 1 November 2026. If you let property in Scotland, Electrical Safety First says that similar requirements are in place for rental properties there.

Do small businesses need PAT testing?

If you run a small business, you have a duty to protect your employees, customers, and visitors from electrical harm. Just like landlords, businesses are not legally forced to book a formal test every single year, but you must maintain your equipment safely.

The approach you should take depends entirely on your workplace environment. In many low risk environments, such as a quiet office or a small retail shop, the equipment is rarely moved. A desktop computer sitting under a desk faces very little risk of cable damage. In these settings, a competent member of staff can often carry out simple visual checks to ensure nothing is broken.

If your business involves a high risk environment, the rules of common sense change. In a busy workshop, a commercial kitchen, or on a construction site, equipment takes a heavy beating. Power tools, extension leads, and catering equipment are constantly plugged in, unplugged, and dragged across floors.

In these tough environments, cables are far more likely to get sliced and plugs are far more likely to get crushed. Formal testing by a professional is the standard way to manage this higher risk. It ensures you catch dangerous faults before they cause an injury and helps you comply with your workplace safety duties.

How often should appliances be tested?

The frequency of inspection and testing depends on the type of equipment and the environment it is used in. Because the law does not provide a strict timetable, you must assess the risk yourself to decide how often checks are needed. You should base this on a few key factors:

• The type of equipment and whether it is held in the hand or left stationary.
• The environment it is used in, such as a clean office or a dusty workshop.
• How frequently the item is plugged in, unplugged, and moved around.
• The manufacturer instructions for maintenance and safe use.

A vacuum cleaner used every day by a cleaning business takes far more wear than a printer that never moves, so it needs checking much more often. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) gives a similar example: a power tool used on a construction site should be examined more often than a lamp in a hotel bedroom.

New equipment should be supplied in a safe condition and does not require a formal portable appliance inspection or test straight out of the box. HSE still recommends a simple visual check to make sure a new item has not been damaged before you put it into service.

A brief user check can be a very useful part of any maintenance regime between formal tests. This involves giving your staff simple training and perhaps a short checklist so they know what to look for. If staff know to report a frayed cable or a cracked plug immediately, you can remove the dangerous item from service long before its next scheduled test.

What happens during a PAT test?

When you hire someone to test your appliances, they will need access to every item you want checked. They will usually ask you to switch off and unplug the equipment so they can inspect it safely.

An electrician typically tests around 10 to 15 items an hour in a home, so a small batch does not take long. The visit involves a few distinct steps for every single appliance:

• A thorough visual inspection of the plug, the cable, and the appliance casing to look for cracks, burn marks, or loose wires.
• An electronic test using a specialised testing machine to check the internal earthing and insulation.
• A pass or fail label applied directly to the item, showing the date of the test.
• A test report or asset log provided to you, detailing exactly what was checked and the results.

If an item fails, the electrician will tell you straight away. Repairs and replacements, such as fitting a new plug or changing a fuse, are charged separately from the testing fee.

How much does PAT testing cost?

The price you pay is driven entirely by how many items you have and where you live. For small jobs, the minimum charge is the biggest factor. Electricians have to cover their travel time, fuel, and their first hour of work, so testing a handful of items costs about the same as testing twenty.

Across most of the UK, providers apply a minimum call-out fee of between £35 and £90. In London and the South East, this minimum charge is noticeably higher, typically sitting between £45 and £140.

Once a business has hundreds of items to test, companies usually switch to a very low price per item. For a massive office with over 100 items, the cost drops to between £1 and £3 per item.

Prices for small batches

The table below shows typical published prices for testing small batches of appliances in homes and small businesses.

These figures represent typical published prices for 2026, and your local quotes will differ. The fee typically covers the visual inspection, the electronic testing, the labels, and the final test report.

Always ask a company what their minimum charge is before you book. You should also ask whether their quote includes VAT and if they charge extra for making small repairs.

Who can carry out PAT testing?

The law states that the person doing testing work needs to be competent to do it. It does not say they must hold a specific electrician qualification, but they must have enough knowledge, training, and experience to spot danger and test equipment safely.

In many low risk environments, a sensible and competent member of staff can carry out visual inspections. If you provide them with enough knowledge and training to know what a safe plug looks like, they can legally check office equipment. They do not need to be an electrician to see that a wire is exposed or a casing is cracked.

However, when equipment needs proper electronic testing, or when the environment is high risk, you should hire a professional. You can choose a local electrician you trust or a dedicated testing company. They have the expensive testing equipment required to check internal faults, and they have the trade experience to interpret the results correctly. By hiring a professional, you are paying for their trained judgement.

Labels, records and paperwork

When an item passes its test, the tester will usually stick a green label on it showing the date it was checked. If it fails, it gets a red label and must be taken out of service.

There is no legal requirement to label equipment that has been inspected or tested. There is also no legal requirement to keep records of these activities. If a label peels off a kettle, you are not breaking the law.

Despite this, labels and records are a highly sensible way to show that equipment has been maintained. If you are ever investigated by the health and safety authorities, or if your insurance company asks for proof of maintenance after a fire, a detailed asset log helps show that a maintenance scheme exists, what was checked and when.

Common questions

What does PAT stand for?

It stands for portable appliance testing. The electrical industry also refers to it as in-service inspection and testing. Both terms mean exactly the same thing: checking your plug-in electrical equipment to ensure it is safe for continued use.

Do I need to test extension leads?

They should be included in any checks. Extension leads and adapters count as portable equipment and need to be kept in a safe condition like any other appliance. Because they are often dragged across floors, overloaded, or trapped under desks, they are highly prone to damage and are a common cause of electrical fires.

Can an appliance fail the test?

Yes. An item will fail if the visual inspection reveals a cracked plug, exposed coloured wires, or a broken casing. It will also fail if the electronic testing machine detects a hidden fault with the internal insulation or earthing. A failed item must not be used until it is repaired.

Does testing cause disruption?

The disruption is minimal, but you do need to turn off the equipment being checked. The tester must unplug each item to inspect the plug and connect it to their testing machine. For computers and servers, you will need to save your work and shut them down safely before the tester can check them.

Next steps

If you need to arrange testing for your appliances, follow these steps to get an accurate price and a smooth service:

• Walk around your property and count exactly how many items have a plug, including extension leads and phone chargers.
• Decide if low risk items just need a visual check by a competent staff member, or if you want everything tested professionally.
• Contact local firms and give them your total item count so they can give you a fixed quote.
• Ask if their quote includes the final written report, the labels, and VAT.
• Ask how much they charge for minor repairs, such as fitting a new plug or replacing a fuse, if an item fails.
• Group your appliances together where possible to save the electrician time on the day.

Keeping your electrical equipment safe protects your tenants, your staff, and your property from serious harm. When you have counted your items and are ready to get prices, you can find an electrician near you to discuss your needs and book a visit.