Do Landlords Need a COC for Rental Properties?
Under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA), an electrical Certificate of Compliance (COC) is legally required when a property changes ownership, when it is sold. The Act does not explicitly mandate a COC for rental properties in the same way.
Here is the part that catches most landlords out, the Act does require that any electrical installation must be safe and maintained in a safe condition. As the property owner, you carry that responsibility.
If a tenant is injured or their property is damaged due to an unsafe electrical installation, you are liable. I have seen a landlord in Garsfontein face a R180,000 claim after a tenant's child touched an exposed live wire in a garage that had been illegally converted into a flatlet by the previous owner.
A COC for your rental property is your proof that the electrical installation is safe and compliant. Without one, you have no defence if something goes wrong. No document, no leg to stand on, that is how the courts see it.
Key facts for landlords
- A COC is valid for 2 years from date of issue
- The landlord (property owner) is responsible for the fixed electrical installation
- Insurance companies increasingly require a valid COC for rental property claims
- Body corporates and managing agents often require COCs for sectional title units
- A COC protects you from liability if an electrical incident occurs
Legal Requirements Explained
The Electrical Installation Regulations under the OHSA set out the requirements. Here is what matters for landlords:
OHSA General Duty of Care
The property owner must ensure the electrical installation does not pose a risk to any person. This applies to all occupied properties, not just those being sold. If an electrical fault causes a fire or electrocution, the owner is liable.
Rental Housing Act
The Rental Housing Act requires rental properties to be habitable. Exposed wiring, no earth leakage protection, or a DB board with old rewirable fuses makes it uninhabitable. Tenants can take you to the Rental Housing Tribunal, and they do.
Insurance Requirements
Most insurers now require a valid COC or proof of regular electrical maintenance. I had a client in Lynnwood whose fire claim was rejected outright because the DB board had no earth leakage and the COC had expired three years prior. That was a R400,000 loss on a R900 fix.
Body Corporate Rules
If your rental is in a sectional title complex, the body corporate likely requires a valid COC. We work with several complexes in Centurion and Midrand where the managing agent will not renew your levy clearance without one.
When is a COC Definitely Required?
While the legal position on rental-specific COCs has grey areas, there are clear-cut situations where you must have one:
When Selling the Property
Non-negotiable. A valid COC must accompany the transfer documents or the Deeds Office will not register the sale. Do not leave this until the week before transfer, older rental properties often need R5,000 or more in repairs first.
After Any Electrical Work
Any new work, additions, or alterations require a COC for that specific work. DB board upgrade, new circuits, geyser replacement, the electrician who did the job must issue one. If they did not, that work is technically illegal.
Insurance Claim
After a fire, electrocution, or surge damage, your insurer will ask for a valid COC. Not having one at claim time is not a grey area, it is grounds for rejection.
Body Corporate Requirement
Many sectional title complexes now mandate COCs for all units. Non-compliance can mean penalties under the Sectional Titles Schemes Management Act and problems at levy clearance time.
Common Issues in Rental Properties
Rental properties almost always have more electrical problems than owner-occupied homes. Tenants do not report minor faults. Landlords put off maintenance until something breaks or a tenant threatens to leave.
Last winter alone, I inspected three student houses near Tuks where every bedroom had a two-bar heater plugged into a multi-adaptor, daisy-chained into another multi-adaptor. One house had scorch marks on the wall behind a socket. Nobody had reported it.
Here are the most common non-compliances we find during COC inspections on rental properties in Pretoria:
| Issue | Typical Repair Cost |
|---|---|
| No earth leakage protection (RCD) | R800 - R1,500 |
| Missing or damaged socket covers | R150 - R350 per point |
| Incorrect or missing earthing | R600 - R1,200 |
| Overloaded circuits (too many appliances) | R1,500 - R3,500 |
| Unregistered electrical work by previous tenant | R500 - R5,000+ |
| Outdated DB board with rewirable fuses | R3,500 - R8,000 |
| Missing geyser isolation switch | R500 - R1,000 |
| No bonding on water pipes | R400 - R800 |
Repair costs are estimates excluding VAT. Actual pricing depends on the property and what needs fixing.
Landlord vs Tenant, Who Pays for What?
I get this question on nearly every job. The landlord wants the tenant to pay. The tenant says it was like that when they moved in. Here is how it actually works:
Landlord Pays For
Everything that is part of the building, DB board, wiring in the walls, socket outlets, light switches, earth leakage protection, hard-wired geyser element, and the COC inspection itself.
Tenant Pays For
Damage caused by the tenant, broken socket outlets from misuse, light bulb replacement, damage to appliance plugs, and any electrical issues caused by tenant-installed equipment (air conditioners, stove plugs, etc.).
Grey Area
General wear and tear falls on the landlord. If a breaker trips because it is 20 years old, that is on you. If it trips because the tenant ran three oil heaters off one 15A circuit in a Hatfield commune, that is a different story, but the breaker still needs replacing.
Lease Agreement
Put it in writing. Your lease should state that the tenant must report electrical faults within 48 hours. I have seen a small spark at a socket turn into a R60,000 board fire because nobody said anything for six months.
Getting Your Rental Property Compliant
If you have not had your rental property inspected recently, here is the process to get it sorted:
Book a COC Inspection
Contact a registered electrician to schedule a full SANS 10142 inspection. Give the tenant at least 48 hours written notice. A standard 3-bedroom rental takes about 2 hours to inspect.
Review the Inspection Report
If it passes, your COC is issued within 24-48 hours. If not, you get a detailed report listing every issue. Roughly 7 out of 10 rental properties we inspect fail the first time, usually on earth leakage, missing bonding, or dodgy work from the previous owner.
Approve and Schedule Repairs
We provide an itemised quote for all required repairs. Once approved, we schedule the work, usually within the same week. For occupied properties, we coordinate timing with the tenant to minimise disruption.
Re-Inspection and COC Issue
After repairs are done, we re-inspect to confirm compliance and issue the COC. Keep it filed with your insurance documents, your insurer, managing agent, or future buyer will ask for it.
Multi-Unit and Complex Properties
If you own a block of flats, a house with a flatlet, or several properties across Pretoria, every unit with a separate DB board needs its own COC. No shortcuts.
The worst cases I see are older blocks of flats in Sunnyside and Arcadia where each unit has been rewired or modified by different tenants over 20 years. Missing earth bonds on geysers, shared neutrals between flats, circuits tapped off the communal supply without metering. It takes proper time to sort out, but it has to be done.
We work with several property management companies in Pretoria and offer bulk rates for multiple units. It makes more sense to inspect everything in one booking cycle than to deal with problems one by one as they come up.
Pro tip for landlords with multiple properties
A COC is valid for 2 years. If you own 10 units, stagger the inspections so five come up one year and five the next, spreads the cost and means you never have a gap in coverage. Get in touch and we can set up a schedule for your portfolio.
The Bottom Line for Landlords
The law does not spell out "every rental must have a COC" in those exact words. But as a landlord, you are responsible for the safety of your electrical installation. A valid COC is the only document that proves it is safe.
Without one, you carry all the risk. Legal liability. Insurance rejection. A tenant in hospital and your name on the court papers.
A COC inspection starts at R1,200 excluding VAT. A rejected fire insurance claim starts at R200,000. That is not a difficult calculation.
At INC Unlimited, we work with landlords and property managers across Pretoria. One unit or fifty, same quality work, no hidden costs. Get in touch and we will sort out your properties.
Written by Andre
Registered Electrician & Founder of INC Unlimited Pty. Ltd
With over 30 years of experience in the electrical trade across Pretoria and Gauteng, Andre and the INC Unlimited team have completed over 500 COC inspections, installations, and electrical projects. SANS 10142 compliant. Based in Equestria, Pretoria.