EICRs for landlords: what the law requires

If you let a property privately in England, the law requires you to have the electrical installation inspected and tested by a qualified and competent person at least every five years, and to give copies of the report to your tenants. The report is called an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR). If it finds problems, you must have them put right within 28 days, or sooner if the report says so.

These rules come from the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020. Below we set out what they require, what the codes on an EICR mean and what landlords can expect to pay. We are a NAPIT-approved electrical contractor based in Buckhurst Hill, carrying out electrical testing and inspection for landlords across Essex and North and East London.

What the regulations require

The regulations apply to most private tenancies in England, including houses in multiple occupation (HMOs). As a landlord you must:

1. Make sure the electrical installation meets the national standards for electrical safety, set out in BS 7671, the IET Wiring Regulations.
2. Have the installation inspected and tested at least every five years by a qualified and competent person. If the inspector recommends a shorter interval, you must follow it.
3. Give a copy of the report to existing tenants within 28 days of the inspection.
4. Give a copy to new tenants before they move in, and to a prospective tenant within 28 days if they ask for one.
5. Give a copy to the local authority within 7 days if they request it.
6. Keep a copy to give to the inspector who carries out the next inspection.
7. Complete any remedial or further investigation work within 28 days, or sooner if the report says so, and give written confirmation that it has been done to your tenants and the local authority within 28 days of completing it.

This guide covers England. Scotland and Wales have their own rules for rented homes.

What happens during an EICR

An EICR is a thorough check of the fixed electrical installation: the consumer unit, wiring, sockets, switches, light fittings and permanently connected equipment such as an electric shower or cooker. It does not cover portable appliances. The regulations do not require portable appliance testing (PAT), although many landlords choose to have appliances they supply tested as good practice.

The inspector checks the earthing and bonding, looks for damage, wear and signs of overheating, tests the circuits and confirms that RCDs trip when they should. The power will be off for part of the visit, so let your tenants know in advance. For an average home the inspection usually takes a few hours, and longer for larger properties or HMOs.

What the EICR codes mean

Any problems found are listed as observations, each with a code that tells you how urgent it is:

• C1: Danger present. There is a risk of injury and immediate action is needed. The electrician will normally make the item safe before leaving, for example by isolating the affected circuit.
• C2: Potentially dangerous. Not an immediate danger, but it could become one. Urgent remedial work is required.
• C3: Improvement recommended. The item does not meet the current edition of BS 7671 but is not considered unsafe. A C3 on its own does not make the report unsatisfactory.
• FI: Further investigation required. The inspector could not reach a conclusion during the inspection, and the issue needs investigating without delay.

If the report contains any C1, C2 or FI codes, the overall result is unsatisfactory, and the 28-day deadline for remedial or investigation work applies. If it contains only C3 items, or none at all, the result is satisfactory. C3 items are still worth considering, particularly when you are refurbishing between tenancies.

Penalties for not complying

Local authorities enforce the regulations. If they believe a landlord has breached their duties, they can serve a remedial notice requiring the work to be done, and in urgent cases they can arrange the work themselves and recover the cost from the landlord. They can also impose financial penalties of up to £30,000.

The simplest protection is to keep a record of inspection dates across your properties, book the next EICR well before the current one expires, and keep copies of every report and every confirmation of completed work.

How much does an EICR cost for landlords?

As a rough UK guide, an EICR for most homes typically costs around £120-£250, depending on the size of the property, the number of circuits and how easy it is to reach the consumer unit and wiring. Larger houses and HMOs usually cost more. Any remedial work is priced separately once the report is complete, so you can see exactly what needs doing and why. Prices vary, so for a figure for your own property use our instant quote tool.

If an EICR shows widespread problems, such as old rubber-insulated cable or no earth on the lighting circuits, it may point towards a partial or full rewire. Our guide on the signs a house needs rewiring explains what to look for.

Landlord electrical certificates in Essex and North East London

Many landlords call it a landlord electrical certificate, but the document you need is the EICR. We carry out EICRs for landlords in Buckhurst Hill, Loughton, Chigwell, Woodford, Walthamstow, Chingford, Edmonton, Waltham Abbey and the surrounding area, and we can also carry out any remedial work the report identifies. You can see the full list on our areas page.

If your next EICR is due, or you are not sure when the last one was done, get an instant estimate on our instant quote page or call 07973 781349 to book an inspection.