Landlord electrical safety certificate – is it time to renew your EICR?

In 2020, a new law (the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations) passed, requiring landlords to have a qualified professional inspect the electrical installation at their rental properties every five years.

It’s been five years since this law was passed, which means many rental properties will be due a new inspection – and with it a new EICR certificate.

But what is an EICR certificate? Keep reading to learn more about:

EICR meaning

So what is an EICR? It stands for Electrical Installation Condition Report. With requirements for landlords meaning that you must have your property professionally tested every five years, you’ll need to complete this report to get an EICR certificate.

An EICR report is completed by a qualified electrician after testing the electrical safety of a property.

The report will outline whether the electrical installations are dangerous, with the potential to cause fire risks or electric shocks.

To complete an EICR report, the electrician will inspect the property, checking for things like signs of overheating or damage to installations.

The final report will recommend any remedial work that needs doing to make the property safe or whether further investigation is needed.

A new safety report doesn’t need to be carried out every time a tenant moves out. However, a landlord must supply new tenants with a copy of the current EICR at the beginning of their tenancy.

You can read the full regulations on the government website.

EICR certificate cost

The cost of getting your electrical certificate depends on a number of factors, including:

• the size of your home
• how many appliances you have
• the day rate of the electrician you use

Checkatrade puts the average starting cost of an EICR report at £100.

Electrical testing for landlords: the regulations

These regulations involve inspection and testing for all properties in the private rented sector. There are three key elements you need to be aware of:

1. Inspection every five years

A key feature of the ruling is inspection. Landlords will need to make sure all electrical installations in their property are inspected and tested by a qualified person every five years (at least).

You’re legally obliged to supply a copy of the inspection and test report to new, existing, and prospective tenants, as well as your local authority if they ask for it. Here are the timescales you’ll need to work to:

• existing tenants: within 28 days of the inspection and test
• new tenants: before they occupy the premises
• prospective tenants: within 28 days of receiving a request
• local authority: within seven days of receiving a request

2. Meet the national standards

The national standards for electrical safety are set out in the 18th edition of the ‘Wiring Regulations’. You can find these on the government website, and may need to talk them through with a qualified electrician.

3. Do any remedial or investigative work

Any remedial work required in your report needs to be completed within 28 days of the test report (or a shorter time period, if specified). Your electrician will need to give written confirmation that they’ve completed this work for you, to the tenant, and local authority, within 28 days of finishing the job.

Which tenancies do the regulations cover?

Existing tenancies have had to comply from 1 April 2021, while all new tenancies have already been under this legislation since 1 July 2020. This will usually include assured shorthold tenancies, licences to occupy, and certain Houses of Multiple Occupation (HMOs).

There are exceptions, including:

• social housing tenants
• lodgers
• long leases of seven years or more
• student halls of residence
• hostels and refuges
• care homes
• specific healthcare accommodation

All of these will carry their own regulations, though, so read up on the different types of tenancy and make sure you’re meeting them.

EICR preparations

Aside from the regulations outlined above, you’ll need to make sure your inspection and testing are booked in, and your installations are safe. So if you last issued your tenants with an EICR certificate when the rules were announced in 2020, it’ll be time for a new one.

Here’s what you need to do next.

Find someone to carry out your test

They’ll need to be ‘qualified and competent’, and you’ll need to get the test repeated every five years. Use the government website for guidance on how to find a qualified person.

Prepare your property

Ahead of the test, make sure you’re clear on where all the relevant installations are, if possible. These will include:

• your fixed electrical parts (such as wiring)
• socket outlets (or plug sockets)
• light fittings
• consumer unit (or fuse box)
• permanently connected equipment like showers and extractors

Useful guides for buy-to-let landlords

• Is there an air source heat pump grant for landlords?
• Is now a good time to buy a house?
• Help with rent arrears – a guide for landlords
• What does landlord insurance cover?