The council has said that the safety of its tenants and residents is paramount and these checks allow the council to examine the condition of the wiring against safety standards.

This forms part of the council’s legal duty to carry out inspections, and tenants are required to allow these to take place. The council has urged tenants to keep their appointment, or if it’s not convenient, to reschedule as soon as possible. Details of how to do this will be detailed in the letter.

Raymond Boyd, project delivery manager, said: “These safety checks are vitally important for keeping our tenants and residents safe. This type of testing takes place every five years and is carried out with the minimal of disruption to tenants. So, if you receive an appointment please keep this and ensure access is provided.

“We’re asking tenants to work with us and provide access to allow us to protect them and their homes from fire and give them the peace of mind that their home remains safe.”

The council is also reassuring tenants that staff will continue to wear face masks, maintain social distancing and carry out these checks with tenant safety in mind. If, on the day of an appointment, a tenant displays symptoms of coronavirus they should cancel and reschedule.

If a tenant refuses to provide access and seems unaware of their, and the council’s obligations to maintain and keep them and their properties safe, as a last resort the council does have legal powers to enforce access if all attempts of co-operation are exhausted.