Since the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 came into force, every privately rented home in England has needed a satisfactory EICR, renewed at least every five years, or sooner if the report itself says so. It is one of the clearest duties a landlord has, and one of the most expensive to ignore.
Check your renewal dateThe rule itself is easy to state. The detail sits in the deadlines: when copies must reach your tenants and the local authority, and what you must do, and by when, if the report comes back unsatisfactory. This article walks through all of it in plain terms.
The 2020 Regulations apply to privately rented homes in England. As the landlord, you must have the fixed electrical installation (the wiring, consumer unit, sockets, switches and light fittings) inspected and tested by a qualified and competent person at least every five years. The inspector works to the current edition of BS 7671 (the wiring regulations) and issues an Electrical Installation Condition Report, the EICR.
The report is either satisfactory or unsatisfactory; there is no pass or fail. A report is unsatisfactory if it records a C1 (danger present, immediate risk), a C2 (potentially dangerous, urgent remedial action required) or an FI (further investigation required without delay). A C3 is an improvement recommendation only; a report with nothing worse than C3s is still satisfactory.
Five years is the maximum interval, not a guarantee. If the inspector recommends a shorter interval on the report, that shorter date is the one you must work to. And if the property is a licensed HMO, be aware that licensing conditions can add requirements on top of the regulations. Check what your local authority's licence actually says rather than assuming the five-year rule is the whole story.
One useful exception: a brand-new installation (a new build, or a full rewire) comes with an Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC) rather than an EICR. That certificate covers you for the first five years, so your first EICR falls due five years from the date on the EIC. Keep the certificate safe; it is your evidence.
Getting the inspection done is only half the duty. The regulations set out exactly who must receive a copy of the report, and when.
Every tenant already living in the property must receive a copy of the report within 28 days of the inspection. Keep a record of when and how you sent it: an email with the report attached is a simple, dated paper trail.
Anyone moving in must be given a copy of the current report before they occupy the property. Build it into your check-in pack alongside the gas safety certificate and deposit paperwork so it never gets missed.
If the local authority asks for the report, you must supply it within 7 days of the request. Requests often follow a tenant complaint, so having the current report to hand matters more than it might seem.
Book before the current report expires and there is room to complete any remedial work without a gap in your compliance.
An unsatisfactory report starts a clock. You must have the remedial work (or, for an FI, the further investigation) completed within 28 days, or sooner if the report specifies a shorter timescale. A C1 means danger is present now, so in practice the inspector will usually deal with the immediate danger on the day where possible; the formal deadline is a backstop, not a target.
Once the work is done, you need written confirmation from a qualified person that it has been completed, and you must give that confirmation to your tenants and the local authority within 28 days of the work finishing. The report plus the written confirmation together are your evidence of compliance; one without the other leaves a gap.
The penalty for getting this wrong is serious. Local authorities can fine landlords up to £30,000 per breach, and separate failures (no valid report, missed copy deadlines, remedial work not done) can each count as a breach. Set against the cost of an inspection, it is not a risk worth carrying.
Certificates for single lets, HMOs and portfolios, with the tenant and council copies handled and a reminder before the five years are up.
If your EICR is due, or you are holding an unsatisfactory report and the 28-day clock is running, call EICR Pro on 0333 360 8583. The line is answered 24/7, or email info@eicr-pro.co.uk. We cover Sussex from Bexhill-on-Sea, and every quote is itemised before any work starts.
Call 0333 360 8583This article is general guidance for landlords in England, not legal advice; final coding on any report is always the inspector's judgement on the day.