As a UK private landlord, you must have a qualified person inspect and test your fixed electrical installations at least every five years in England, with nation-specific timings elsewhere. You then give your tenants the EICR within 28 days and supply your local housing authority within 7 days of a written request. Any required remedial work must be finished within 28 days, or sooner if the report says so.
TL;DR:
- Give new tenants the latest report before occupancy, provide prospective tenants a copy within 28 days of request, and retain records until the next inspection.
- Wales requires the report within 14 days of occupation; Scotland requires inspection before first letting and every five years, while Northern Ireland has separate rules.
- C1, C2, and FI findings make a report unsatisfactory; finish required work by its stated deadline, then send written proof to tenants and the local authority.
- An EIC from a new build or full rewire can replace an EICR for five years, unless the certificate sets an earlier inspection date.
- Before booking, verify the inspector’s qualifications and insurance, and get a written scope covering circuits tested and any limits on access or testing.
Table of Contents
- What is an EICR and what does it cover?
- What are your legal duties as a private landlord, and how often must you inspect?
- Who counts as a qualified person to carry out an EICR?
- What should you do if the EICR is unsatisfactory?
- What paperwork must you give tenants and keep on file?
- How do you prepare for an EICR inspection?
- When can an EIC replace an EICR?
- How long does it take and what should you budget for?
- Why booking early and keeping records pays off
- How we help landlords meet EICR obligations
- FAQ
- Sources
What is an EICR and what does it cover?
An Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) records the safety condition of the fixed electrical installation in a rented property and sets the date of the next inspection. It is the standard evidence landlords hold to show they have met their duty. Inspectors grade each finding with a code:
- C1: danger is present and immediate action is needed.
- C2: potentially dangerous.
- FI: further investigation is required.
The inspection covers the consumer unit, the circuits and a sample of accessories such as sockets and switches. The aim is for the whole installation to be tested, with any limitations written on the report, so check that what you are paying for matches what is actually tested. Many landlords assume a quick visual check is enough, but the report must give results, not impressions.
What are your legal duties as a private landlord, and how often must you inspect?
In England, the Electrical Safety Standards regulations require a qualified person to inspect and test the installation at least every five years. You must obtain the report, give a copy to existing tenants within 28 days and supply it to the local housing authority within 7 days of a written request. Give a new tenant a copy of the most recent report before they occupy the property.
Other nations differ. In Wales, a valid EICR must reach the contract-holder within 14 days of occupation, and in Scotland the Repairing Standard calls for inspection by a competent person before first let and then at intervals of no more than five years, as one landlord guide to Wales and Scotland sets out. Northern Ireland follows its own rules, so check the current position there with the local authority.
Financial penalties of up to £30,000 can follow a failure to comply with the regulations. That makes a missed inspection date a far more expensive problem than the inspection itself.
Who counts as a qualified person to carry out an EICR?
The regulations require a “qualified person”, meaning someone with the competence to inspect and test an installation against BS 7671, the IET Wiring Regulations. Before booking, check the following:
- Relevant qualifications and experience in periodic inspection and testing.
- Current public liability insurance.
- A written scope that states what will be tested and any agreed limitations.
After remedial work, acceptable certification includes an Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC) or a Minor Electrical Installation Works Certificate (MEIWC). An EIC can also stand in for an EICR on a new build or after a full rewire.
Pro Tip: Ask for the electrician’s scheme registration and insurance document in writing before the visit, not on the day.
What should you do if the EICR is unsatisfactory?
A report with C1, C2 or FI codes is unsatisfactory. Under the Gov, the work must be done by a qualified person within 28 days, or a shorter period if the report states one. The sequence that keeps you compliant looks like this:
- Read the report and note every C1, C2 and FI observation and any shorter deadline.
- Instruct a qualified person to carry out the remedial or investigative work.
- Obtain written confirmation that the work is complete.
- Supply that confirmation, with the report, to your tenants and the local authority within 28 days of completion.
- Keep all of it together for your records.
If you do not act, the local authority can serve a remedial notice, arrange the work itself and recover the cost from you, and it can also impose penalties. You have a right of appeal, but acting inside the window avoids the dispute altogether.
What paperwork must you give tenants and keep on file?
Treat this as a standing checklist:
- Give existing tenants the EICR within 28 days of the inspection.
- Give new tenants the most recent report before they move in.
- Give prospective tenants a copy within 28 days of their request.
- Keep the EICR until the next inspection is due.
- File any EIC or MEIWC from remedial work alongside the EICR as proof.
Missing records are a common flag during enforcement checks, which is why industry advice is to store the EICR with your gas safety and EPC records. Our own landlord checklist for the 28 day deadline walks through the same steps in more detail.
How do you prepare for an EICR inspection?
Preparation reduces repeat visits and recorded limitations. Electrical Safety First best practice recommends the following approach:
- Agree the extent of the inspection in writing with the person you are hiring.
- Tell your tenants the date and make sure the inspector can reach the consumer unit and every circuit.
- Expect a sample of accessories on each circuit, at least 20% where appropriate.
- Expect any limitations to be stated on the report, ideally with photographic evidence.
- Plan any likely remedial work so it can follow quickly, rather than starting from scratch after the report.
Pro Tip: Book the inspection weeks before the old report expires, so a failed result still leaves time for the 28 day remedial window.
When can an EIC replace an EICR?
An Electrical Installation Certificate from a new build or a full rewire can serve as your evidence for five years instead of an EICR, as the GOV.UK guidance confirms. Check the issue date and any shorter re-inspection date written on it. Once the five years pass, you need an EICR. Keep the original certificate and give a copy to incoming tenants before they occupy the property.
How long does it take and what should you budget for?
Book early, because inspector availability can stretch lead times, and remedial work usually has to be finished within 28 days of the report. The cost of that work depends entirely on what the inspector finds, from replacing a damaged socket to changing a consumer unit or, in the worst case, rewiring. If findings point that way, our guide to what a house rewire costs in the UK helps you gauge the scale.
- Get written estimates for any remedial work before you approve it.
- Allow time to coordinate tenant access for both inspection and repairs.
- Budget for the follow-up certificate that proves the work is complete.
Why booking early and keeping records pays off
We carry out fixed-wire testing and see the same pattern in landlord compliance work: the trouble rarely comes from the inspection itself, but from a missed date or a missing certificate. Landlords who book early and keep the paperwork together are the ones who treat a C2 as a routine job rather than an emergency. Your first step costs nothing: find your current EICR or EIC and check the expiry date today.
— Simon
How we help landlords meet EICR obligations
We are electrical contractors in Dorset, Hampshire and Devon, and electrical testing sits alongside our wider residential and commercial work. For landlords that means one team can inspect, carry out the remedial work an unsatisfactory report calls for, and provide the certificates you need to pass on to tenants. We hold MCS and NICEIC accreditation. If your report is due or has come back with codes, get in touch through our website and we will take it from there.
FAQ
Do all rented properties need an EICR?
In England, private rented properties need an EICR at least every five years, and one must be in place before a new tenancy begins unless a current valid report exists. Wales and Scotland have their own requirements, so check the current official rules for your nation.
What are the main electrical safety laws in the UK?
For private landlords in England, the key law is the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020. Wales and Scotland set their own requirements, and inspections are carried out against BS 7671.
How much does an EICR certificate cost?
The price depends on the size of the property and the number of circuits, and we have no published figure for it, so ask for a written quote. Remedial work is priced separately once the findings are known.
What are the changes in electrical regulation for 2026?
Check the current GOV.UK guidance for any updates, as requirements can change. The core duties covered here are the five-year inspection, the 28-day tenant copy and the 28-day remedial window.
