Register My Appliance – Free and easy peace of mind for you and your tenants
With the buzz around the new electrical safety law recently announced by the government, I thought I’d look at the ‘Register My Appliance’ scheme. A simple and free scheme, Register My Appliance could help to keep your tenants safer while also prolonging the useful life of your appliances.
A scheme for buy-to-let tenants and their landlords
It is estimated that there are more than 90 million appliances in UK homes. The average useful life of each is around 12 years. However, appliances can go wrong and manufacturers need to know where machines are to help ensure that they can trace washing machines, fridges, freezers and so on, should they need to recall them or recommend an update.
You need only remember the devastation of Grenfell Tower to understand the potential disastrous consequences of faulty appliances. Neither landlords nor tenants want the same experience. Register My Appliance is a scheme that is open to both, as well as homeowners – anyone can use it, and it really can save lives.
What is the Register My Appliance scheme?
Simply put, the Register My Appliance scheme allows you or your tenant to go online, enter the appliance details, and:
- Discover if there are any current safety issues with the appliance
- Receive updates with safety repairs or recalls
It takes only a couple of minutes per appliance to use, and both new and old appliances can be registered.
Why tenants and landlords should use Register My Appliance
In a YouGov survey, it was found that almost a third of people found a fridge in their new home. Many buy-to-let landlords include white goods as part of their property. Most tenants don’t know whether the white goods included are registered or not.
When they move into their new home, tenants don’t know anything about the appliances that have been supplied by their landlord. Similarly, landlords may not know the safety status of the appliances they buy and provide – even if they are new.
It makes sense for tenants and landlords to register these appliances. If a repair becomes necessary, you and your tenant will be contacted immediately. That’s extra peace of mind that you can’t buy – it’s free.
Imagine calling your tenant and explaining that their fridge has been found to be potentially unsafe and that you will be sending an electrician round to make the safety repair. Then imagine the relief the tenant would feel if they read how the same Whirlpool refrigerator model exploded in a Florida home. Your foresight to register that appliance could have saved the life of a tenant or one of the tenant’s children. Perhaps your action may have saved a whole family from a fatal accident.
How easy is it to use Register My Appliance?
To use Register My Appliance, all you need to do is visit www.registermyappliance.org.uk/registration. Then:
- Locate the product serial number on the appliance (you’ll be told where to find this in most instances)
- Enter the serial number into the portal
That’s it. A minute or two of your time could save a life.
Once registered, if there are any safety repairs or recalls that the manufacturer recommends or makes, you’ll be the first to know.
You can register an appliance using a PC, laptop or smartphone, and the portal supports over 60 brands. Most will accept registration of older appliances as well as new appliances – and most will also tell you about the status of warranties and guarantees.
Four recalls in the last two years
Appliance recalls are not made very often, but when they are you’ll want to know about it. Register My Appliance makes discovering safety issues easier. You won’t have to hope that you spot the recall notice buried in the corner of page 27 of The Sun newspaper. You’ll be alerted immediately.
In the last two years, there has been four appliance recalls in the UK. Has one of your products been recalled and recommended as not to be used until a repair has been made? You can find the details by clicking on the following links:
- 25.04.18 Whirlpool AKM 274/IX Gas Hobs
- 20.02.18 KitchenAid 1.7 Litre Electric Kettles
- 30.5.17 Beko, Blomberg Tumble Dryers
- 20.2.17 Bosch and Neff Built-in Gas Hobs
You can find the full list of appliance recalls here.
For more useful tips and advice about all aspects of the rental market, for both buy-to-let landlords and their tenants call the team at +44 0 1522 503 717.
Live with Passion,
Brett Alegre-Wood