Emergency Electrician for Edinburgh Landlords, Airbnb & Serviced Accommodation
Amerson Electrical provides 24/7 emergency electrical callouts to rental and short-term let properties across Edinburgh, typically attending within 30 to 60 minutes. We work from keysafes without the owner present, prioritise properties with guests or tenants inside, and issue a written report after every visit for your licence or compliance file.
Long-term tenancies, Airbnb and Booking.com listings, serviced apartments and HMOs.
Answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week — including bank holidays. If guests or tenants are in the property, say so when you call and we will prioritise it.
The short version
Everything a landlord or short-let operator usually wants to know before making the call.
- Availability
- 24 hours a day, 7 days a week — including the Fringe, Hogmanay and bank holidays
- Response time
- 30–60 minutes across Edinburgh for genuine emergencies
- Coverage
- All Edinburgh postcodes EH1–EH17, plus Musselburgh and surrounding areas
- Standard hours rate
- £95 first hour, then £65 per hour (Mon–Fri, 8am–6pm)
- Out-of-hours rate
- £125 attendance, then £85 per hour (evenings, weekends, bank holidays)
- Access
- We can work from a keysafe, lockbox, cleaner or letting agent — you do not need to be there
- Billing
- Invoiced to the owner, letting agent or management company
- Paperwork
- Written report or certificate after the visit for your licence or compliance file
Why an electrical fault in a let property is not the same as one in your own home
When your own kitchen sockets stop working, it is annoying. When it happens in a property someone has paid to stay in, the clock is commercial. There are roughly 3,209 licensed short-term lets in the City of Edinburgh Council area, according to Scottish Government figures published in April 2026, and every one of them is operating under licence conditions that make electrical safety a legal condition of trading rather than a maintenance preference.
The changeover window is unforgiving
A fault found at 11am with a 3pm check-in is a different job from the same fault on a void day. Tell us the check-in time and we will work to it, or tell you early enough to make a decision about the booking.
Peak weeks cost the most to lose
August and Hogmanay are when Edinburgh nightly rates peak and a lost night cannot be rebooked. A dark flat during the Fringe is the most expensive electrical fault in the city, which is why we keep out-of-hours cover through both.
Your licence depends on it
Short-term let licence conditions require electrical fittings to be in a reasonable state of repair and safe working order, with a valid EICR and PAT report available to guests. A known unrepaired fault is a licence problem, not just a maintenance one.
Reviews outlive the repair
A guest who spent one evening without hot water will mention it in a review that sits on your listing for years. Speed of response is usually what determines whether the incident becomes a complaint or a footnote.
You are often not there
Many Edinburgh short lets are run remotely, sometimes from another country. The fault gets reported by a guest or a cleaner. We are set up to work from that starting point rather than needing the owner on site.
Edinburgh tenements have their own quirks
Shared stair meter cupboards, factored communal supplies, mixed-age wiring behind period features. Knowing where the boundary sits between your installation and the shared one saves hours on a callout.
The 12 faults we are called out to most in Edinburgh let properties
What normally causes each one, and what we do about it.
RCD or trip switch keeps tripping
Usual cause: The single most common callout in let properties. Usually a guest-supplied appliance, a failing heating element, or moisture in an extractor fan or outdoor socket.
What we do: We isolate the offending circuit or appliance so the rest of the flat stays live, then repair or condemn the fault.
Total loss of power to the flat
Usual cause: Main switch tripped, blown main fuse, meter fault, or a fault on the incoming supply in the tenement stair cupboard.
What we do: We diagnose whether it is your installation or the network supply, and restore power or escalate to the network operator with evidence.
No hot water — immersion or electric boiler
Usual cause: Failed immersion element, faulty thermostat, or a tripped water-heating circuit. Common in tenement flats with no gas.
What we do: Element and thermostat replacement, usually same visit. This is the fault most likely to trigger a guest refund request.
Dead sockets or a whole ring circuit down
Usual cause: Loose connection at a socket, damaged flex pulled behind furniture, or a broken neutral in older tenement wiring.
What we do: Circuit testing to locate the break, then permanent repair rather than a temporary bridge.
Oven, hob or washing machine failure
Usual cause: Burnt-out cooker connection unit, failed isolator switch, or an appliance that has failed and is tripping the board.
What we do: We repair the fixed connection and confirm whether the appliance itself needs replacing before you spend money on it.
Smoke or heat alarm chirping or false-alarming
Usual cause: End-of-life alarm, failed backup cell, steam or dust ingress, or one faulty unit taking the whole interlinked system down.
What we do: Silence, test and replace to keep your interlinked detection compliant — a licence and insurance condition, not an optional fix.
Smart lock or keyless entry power failure
Usual cause: Dead lock batteries or a failed supply to the entry system, leaving guests unable to get in — often late at night.
What we do: Restore power to the entry system and recommend a wired supply or manual override so it cannot happen again.
Communal stair lighting out
Usual cause: Failed stair light, timer or photocell. A dark tenement stair is a genuine safety issue and a common guest complaint.
What we do: Repair where it is your responsibility, and give you written evidence to take to the factor where it is not.
Burning smell or scorch marks
Usual cause: Overheating connection at a socket, consumer unit or cooker point. Always treat as urgent.
What we do: Immediate isolation and make-safe, then permanent repair. Never wait for this one — it is a fire risk.
Extractor fan or bathroom heater failure
Usual cause: Motor seizure or moisture damage. Left alone it causes damp, mould and the condensation complaints that damage reviews.
What we do: Replacement fan and correct IP-rated installation for the bathroom zone.
EV charger not working
Usual cause: Tripped dedicated circuit, faulty charge unit or an earthing fault. Increasingly common where parking is offered as a selling point.
What we do: Test and reset the charging circuit, repair the fault, and confirm the earthing arrangement is still compliant.
Storage heaters not coming on
Usual cause: Off-peak timing fault, failed element, or an economy tariff circuit not switching. Usually reported on the first cold night of a stay.
What we do: Diagnose the off-peak switching and repair the element or contactor.
Never tell a guest or tenant to keep resetting a tripping switch. An RCD that trips repeatedly is doing its job — it has detected a genuine fault. Resetting it onto a live fault removes the protection that is keeping someone safe. Isolate the circuit and call us on 0131 358 9935.
How an emergency callout works
From the phone call to the paperwork.
- 1
Call us — we triage on the phone first
Tell us the symptom, the postcode and whether guests are in the property. In a fair number of cases we can talk your guest, cleaner or changeover team through a safe reset over the phone and save you a callout charge entirely. If it needs an electrician, we tell you there and then.
- 2
We attend — typically within 30–60 minutes
You do not need to be in Edinburgh, or at the property. We work from a keysafe code, a lockbox, your housekeeper, or a letting agent key collection. Tell us if guests are inside and we will introduce ourselves properly and keep disruption to a minimum.
- 3
Diagnose and make safe
The first priority is a safe, occupiable property. Where a full repair needs a part we cannot get at 11pm, we isolate the fault, restore power to everything else, and leave the property safe and usable overnight rather than dark.
- 4
Permanent repair
We aim to finish the job on the first visit. If a specialist part is needed we book a return during standard hours, so you are not paying out-of-hours rates for the second visit.
- 5
Paperwork and invoice
You get a written record of what was found and what was done — the evidence you need for your licence file, your insurer, or a guest refund dispute. We invoice you, your letting agent or your management company directly.
Give our number to your housekeeping team. A large share of reported faults turn out to be a tripped switch or a guest appliance. We triage on the phone at no charge, so a two-minute call during changeover often replaces a callout after check-in.
Callout rates
The same rates we charge everyone. No landlord premium, no festival surcharge.
| When | First hour | Thereafter |
|---|---|---|
| Standard hoursMon–Fri, 8am–6pm | £95 | £65per hour |
| Out of hoursEvenings, weekends, bank holidays | £125attendance | £85per hour |
EICR from £150
Priced on property size and circuit count. Required at least every five years for both tenancies and short-term lets. EICR details
PAT testing from £3 per item
Tested items dated, signed and labelled, with a report you can show guests. Landlord certificates
Parts and any remedial work are quoted separately before we proceed. Multi-property operators can be set up on a monthly account.
Electrical compliance: long-term tenancy vs short-term let vs HMO
The three regimes overlap but they are not the same, and operators regularly get caught out by assuming a standard landlord EICR covers a short-term let. Here is how they compare in Edinburgh.
EICR (fixed wiring inspection)
- Long-term tenancy
- At least every 5 years, and valid before a new tenancy starts
- Short-term let
- At least every 5 years by a competent person, or sooner if the report advises it
- HMO
- Current EICR required with every licence application and renewal
PAT testing (portable appliances)
- Long-term tenancy
- Required on any portable appliances you supply as part of the tenancy
- Short-term let
- Required for moveable appliances guests can access. Items must be dated, signed and labelled
- HMO
- Annual PAT certificate required by City of Edinburgh Council
Showing the paperwork
- Long-term tenancy
- Copy of the EICR to the tenant within 28 days of the inspection
- Short-term let
- Copies of the EICR and PAT report must be made available to guests
- HMO
- Certificates submitted to the council with the application
Fire and CO detection
- Long-term tenancy
- Interlinked smoke and heat alarms, plus a CO alarm where there is a fuel-burning appliance
- Short-term let
- Satisfactory equipment to detect and warn of fire and hazardous CO concentrations
- HMO
- Mains-wired interlinked system plus a current Part 1 fire alarm certificate
Emergency lighting
- Long-term tenancy
- Not generally required
- Short-term let
- Not generally required
- HMO
- Annual emergency lighting certificate required
Gas safety
- Long-term tenancy
- Annual Gas Safe inspection where there is gas
- Short-term let
- Annual inspection of gas pipes, flues and appliances, with the report displayed for guests
- HMO
- Annual Gas Safe inspection where there is gas
Who enforces it
- Long-term tenancy
- First-tier Tribunal for Scotland (Housing and Property Chamber)
- Short-term let
- City of Edinburgh Council licensing — operating without a licence is a criminal offence
- HMO
- City of Edinburgh Council HMO licensing team
Where the rules come from
- Long-term tenancies: the Repairing Standard under the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006, enforced by the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland (Housing and Property Chamber).
- Short-term lets: the mandatory licence conditions in the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 (Licensing of Short-term Lets) Order 2022. Operating without a licence is a criminal offence.
- HMOs: City of Edinburgh Council HMO licensing, which requires the certificates listed above with each application and renewal.
What EICR codes mean for you
- C1Danger present. Fix immediately — the property should not be let in this condition.
- C2Potentially dangerous. Must be put right; guidance for the Repairing Standard allows 28 days.
- C3Improvement recommended. Advisory only — not a fail, but worth planning into a void period.
- FIFurther investigation required. Part of the installation could not be fully assessed.
A report containing any C1 or C2 is recorded as unsatisfactory. We quote the remedial work separately and re-test the affected circuits afterwards.
This is a general summary to help you plan, not legal advice. Licence conditions can be varied by the council and are updated periodically, so always check the conditions attached to your own licence and the current guidance from City of Edinburgh Council. If you are unsure what applies to your property, call us and we will tell you what we can and cannot certify.
Who we work with
Private landlords
One flat or twenty. We will hold your keysafe codes on file so a tenant callout does not need three phone calls to arrange.
Airbnb and Booking.com hosts
We understand changeover windows. If you have a 3pm check-in and a fault at 11am, say so when you call and we will prioritise accordingly.
Serviced accommodation operators
Multiple units across the city, invoiced monthly to one account. Add us as your named emergency electrical contractor.
Letting and managing agents
We deal directly with your property managers, report back in writing, and invoice the agency rather than chasing individual landlords.
Housekeeping and changeover teams
Give your cleaners our number. They are usually first to find a fault, and a phone triage during changeover is far cheaper than a callout after check-in.
HMO landlords
Student and shared properties in Marchmont, Newington and Tollcross, where emergency lighting and fire alarm systems add another layer of compliance.
Where we cover
All Edinburgh postcodes from EH1 to EH17, plus Musselburgh and the surrounding area. These are the areas where we do the most short-let and rental work.
Questions landlords and short-let operators ask us
Can you attend an Airbnb in Edinburgh the same day if a guest has no power?
Yes. We are available 24 hours a day and aim to be at the property within 30 to 60 minutes anywhere in Edinburgh. Call 0131 358 9935 and tell us the postcode and whether guests are currently in the flat, and we will prioritise it as an occupied-property emergency.
My short-term let has no electricity and a guest checks in at 3pm. What can you do?
Tell us the check-in time when you call and we will work to that deadline. In many cases we can restore power well before check-in. If the fault turns out to need a part we cannot source in time, we will tell you honestly and early enough that you can make a decision about the booking rather than finding out at 3pm.
Do I need to be at the property, or in Edinburgh at all?
No. Most of our landlord and short-let work is done without the owner present. We work from keysafe codes, lockboxes, letting agent key collections, or your housekeeper letting us in. Give us the access details when you call and we will handle it from there.
Do you charge extra for out-of-hours callouts at rental properties?
Our out-of-hours rate is £125 attendance then £85 per hour, covering evenings, weekends and bank holidays. Standard hours are Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm at £95 for the first hour then £65 per hour. Parts are quoted separately. There are no hidden fees and no premium for being a landlord or short-let operator.
Can you invoice my letting agent or management company?
Yes. We regularly invoice agents, serviced accommodation operators and property management companies rather than individual owners. If you manage multiple units we can set up a single account and bill monthly, with a written job record against each property.
The RCD keeps tripping and guests are in the flat. What should they do?
Ask them to unplug their own devices — chargers, hair dryers, travel adaptors — and reset the switch once. If it holds, a guest appliance was the cause. If it trips again, do not keep resetting it. Repeated resetting on a live fault is dangerous. Call us and we will isolate the faulty circuit so the rest of the property stays usable.
Do I need PAT testing for my Airbnb in Edinburgh?
Yes. Under the mandatory conditions of the Scottish short-term let licensing scheme, you must arrange a Portable Appliance Testing report for moveable appliances that guests can access — kettles, toasters, hair dryers, TVs and similar. Tested items must be dated, signed and labelled, and the report must be available to guests. Our PAT testing starts at £3 per item.
How often does my short-term let need an EICR?
At least every five years, carried out by a competent person, or more frequently if the report itself recommends a shorter interval. This is a mandatory condition of your short-term let licence, and the report must be made available to guests. Our EICRs start at £150 depending on property size.
What electrical paperwork do I have to show guests under my STL licence?
A copy of your EICR and your PAT report both need to be available to guests, alongside your gas safety report if the property has gas, a certified copy of the licence, safety information and emergency contact details. Most operators keep these in the property welcome folder and mirrored in their digital guest guide.
Can you provide a certificate after an emergency repair for my licence file?
Yes. Every emergency visit is followed by a written record of what was found and what was done. Where the work is notifiable we issue the appropriate certification. This is the documentation you need for your licence file, your insurer, or to support your position if a guest requests a refund.
Do you cover HMOs and student properties?
Yes. HMOs carry extra electrical compliance on top of a standard tenancy — a current EICR, an annual PAT certificate, an annual emergency lighting certificate and a Part 1 fire alarm system certificate for City of Edinburgh Council. We handle emergency callouts and the annual testing cycle for HMO landlords across Marchmont, Newington, Tollcross and the wider city.
Can you work around a changeover so guests are not disturbed?
Where the fault is not dangerous, yes. Tell us your checkout and check-in times and we will aim for the gap between them. Non-urgent remedial work is usually better booked into a void day at standard rates than squeezed in around an occupied stay at out-of-hours rates.
What if the fault is in the communal stair or the incoming supply?
We establish that first, because it changes who pays. If the fault is on the network side we give you written evidence to escalate to the distribution network operator. If it is in the shared stair, you get a written report to take to your factor. Either way you are not left guessing.
Do you work during the Fringe and over Hogmanay?
Yes. Those are the weeks when a dark flat costs the most, so they are exactly when we make sure cover is available. August and Hogmanay callouts are charged at our standard out-of-hours rate — we do not apply festival surcharges.
A smoke alarm is chirping at 3am and the guest has called me. Can you help?
Yes, and it is worth treating as urgent rather than telling the guest to live with it. Chirping usually means an end-of-life unit or a failed backup cell, and in an interlinked system one bad unit can take the whole thing offline. That leaves you non-compliant as well as facing a bad review.
Will you talk my cleaner or guest through a reset before charging a callout?
Yes, and we would rather do that. Plenty of reported faults are a tripped switch or an unplugged appliance. We will triage on the phone at no charge and only attend if it genuinely needs an electrician. Giving your housekeeping team our number is the single cheapest thing you can do.
Do you handle EV charger faults at rental properties?
Yes. We test and repair the dedicated charging circuit, the charge unit and the earthing arrangement. Where parking with charging is part of your listing, a dead charger is a legitimate guest complaint, so it is worth fixing properly rather than removing it from the listing.
What happens if you cannot fix it in one visit?
We make the property safe and usable first — isolating the faulty circuit and restoring everything else rather than leaving the flat dark. Then we book the return visit during standard hours so you are not paying out-of-hours rates twice. You will know the plan and the likely cost before we leave.
Save this number before you need it
Put us in your property manual, your guest welcome pack and your housekeeping team's phone. When a fault gets reported at 10pm on a Saturday, the difference between a footnote and a refund is usually how fast someone picks up.
Answered 24/7 · 30–60 minute response across EH1–EH17