Electrical Safety Certificate and EICR Reports in London

An EICR records whether an existing fixed electrical installation is satisfactory for continued use within the agreed extent and limitations. It identifies observations, classification codes and any investigative or remedial work stated as necessary, and recommends when the next inspection should take place. It is a condition report at the time of inspection, not a guarantee that no future fault will occur.

Not in every case. The statutory five-year inspection duty described by current GOV.UK guidance applies to rented homes in England that fall within the regulations. Homeowners, offices and businesses can have different legal, insurer, lender, lease, licensing or maintenance requirements. State the property use and who requested the document so the correct inspection or certificate can be identified.

Start with the wording supplied by the landlord, agent, council, buyer, insurer, lender or other requester. An EICR reports on the condition of an existing fixed installation; an Electrical Installation Certificate normally records new installation or full-rewire work; a Minor Electrical Installation Works Certificate may cover qualifying minor additions or alterations; and checks of portable or plug-in equipment are separate. Send the original request, property use, postcode and any existing records so the appropriate document and scope can be confirmed before the visit.

Send the property postcode, property use, access details, consumer-unit and circuit information if known, previous electrical records and required date. A qualified person should carry out the inspection and testing. The resulting EICR records the agreed extent and limitations, test results, observations, overall assessment and recommended date for the next inspection. It is a condition report, not a certificate for new installation work.

A quotation can depend on the requested scope, property use and size, the number and arrangement of consumer units and circuits, access, previous records, location and deadline. Send the postcode, property type, consumer-unit and circuit details if known, access or parking constraints, existing reports and required date. Before approving the visit, confirm the total price, VAT position, what report is included and whether remedial work or a revisit is quoted separately.

GOV.UK says the inspection and testing must be carried out by a qualified person: someone competent to undertake that inspection and testing. Competence should match the property and work rather than relying on a generic electrician description alone. Before appointing a provider, check the applicable inspection-and-testing competence, identity, current registration or assessment where relevant, insurance and ability to issue a complete report. GOV.UK links landlords to industry guidance and the Registered Competent Person Electrical search when choosing a person.

An EICR records the extent and limitations of the inspection, circuit details and test results, observations, classification codes, the overall satisfactory or unsatisfactory assessment and the recommended date for the next inspection.

C1 means danger is present and C2 means potentially dangerous; either results in an unsatisfactory assessment. C3 is an improvement recommendation. Where FI appears, read the notes and overall assessment on the issued report because its wording and effect depend on the BS 7671 edition and form used. For rented homes in England, follow the report and current GOV.UK requirements for any investigative or remedial work stated as necessary.

Not automatically. For rented homes in England, required remedial or investigative work must be completed within 28 days or any shorter period specified in the report. GOV.UK accepts a satisfactory EICR, an Electrical Installation Certificate, a Minor Electrical Installation Works Certificate or other appropriate electrical certification as written confirmation, depending on the work completed. Keep the original report and completion evidence, and provide the report and written confirmation to the tenant and local council within 28 days of the work. The qualified person completing the work should identify the appropriate evidence.

The five-year rented-sector duty does not apply simply because you own and occupy your home. An EICR can still be useful where the installation history is unknown, deterioration or warning signs are present, or before buying or selling a previously occupied property. Electrical Safety First recommends periodic inspection at least every ten years for an owner-occupied home, with earlier inspection where the existing report or the installation condition indicates it.

In England, the regulations generally apply where a tenant has the right to occupy the premises as their only or main residence and pays rent, whether or not it is a market rent. A tenancy includes a licence to occupy. GOV.UK lists exclusions including shared accommodation with the landlord or their family, long leases of seven years or more, student halls, hostels and refuges, care homes and specified healthcare accommodation, and mobile homes, caravans and boats. Check Schedule 1 where the arrangement is unusual.

Yes, where the tenancy is within scope. GOV.UK confirms that the regulations apply to properties rented to people who are not from one household and share facilities, including HMOs. The regulations cover the fixed electrical installation within the rented premises. They do not apply to communal building areas such as stairwells, corridors or other shared spaces, although other legislation, enforcement notices and HMO licensing duties may apply there. State whether the requested inspection concerns tenant accommodation, communal installations or both so the quotation can be scoped correctly.

Yes. The regulations came into force for the social rented sector on 1 November 2025. They apply to social housing tenancies granted after 1 December 2025. For social housing tenancies granted before that date, the regulations come into force on 1 May 2026, with transitional requirements including initial inspection and testing before 1 November 2026. Social landlords should check the current timetable and any applicable exception for the particular tenancy.

For rented homes in England within the regulations, newly built or completely rewired premises should have an Electrical Installation Certificate. GOV.UK says the landlord can provide that certificate to tenants and, if requested, the local council, and no further check or report is normally required for five years after it was issued, provided the landlord has complied with the regulations.

An Electrical Installation Certificate covering only limited work, such as a consumer-unit replacement, does not by itself report on the condition of the whole existing installation. Confirm the extent stated on the certificate and whether an EICR is also needed.

For a non-urgent installation breach, current GOV.UK guidance says the local council must serve a remedial notice when it has reasonable grounds to believe specified duties have been breached and the report does not require urgent action. The notice sets out the work required.

If the notice is not complied with, the council may arrange the work and recover its costs. Where urgent remedial action is required and the report deadline has passed, the council may arrange work with consent from the tenant and after the required notice. Rights to make representations and appeal can apply, so follow the notice and obtain legal advice where necessary.

For rented homes in England within the regulations, landlords must arrange inspection and testing of the fixed electrical installation by a qualified person at least every five years, or sooner if the report specifies. They must retain the report, give it to an existing tenant within 28 days, give it to a new tenant before occupation, provide it to a prospective tenant within 28 days of a request and provide it to the local council within seven days of a request. The tenancy exceptions and social-housing transition provisions should be checked for the particular property.

An EICR covers the fixed electrical installation within the agreed extent and limitations. GOV.UK examples include wiring, socket-outlets, light fittings and the consumer unit. Depending on the installation and agreed scope, the inspection may also consider circuits, switches, earthing, bonding and fixed electrical equipment.

It does not automatically cover portable appliances or every concealed or inaccessible part. Confirm the areas, consumer units and limitations before the visit; these should be recorded on the completed report.

Local councils may impose a financial penalty of up to £40,000 for specified breaches. GOV.UK says the £40,000 maximum applies to offences committed from 1 May 2026; earlier offences may fall under previous penalty provisions. Enforcement depends on the facts, date and applicable duty.

GOV.UK says a landlord is not in breach of certain specified duties where they can show that they took all reasonable steps. For access, keep copies of requests, tenant replies and appointment offers; refusal does not make legal proceedings solely to secure entry compulsory under these regulations.

If a qualified person is unavailable, keep enquiries, replies and attempted bookings, continue trying, and seek legal advice if a deadline may be missed. Retain previous reports or servicing records, but do not present them as a substitute for a required current inspection.

An EICR assesses the condition of an installation against the edition of BS 7671 current at the time of the inspection. An existing installation designed to an earlier edition does not automatically require a full upgrade or become unsafe merely because it differs from the latest requirements.

The inspector must judge whether the installation is safe for continued use and record the relevant observations and classification codes. Any required investigation or remedial work should follow the report and the applicable legal duty.

For rented homes in England covered by the regulations, inspection and testing is required at least every five years or sooner if the current report specifies an earlier date. A new inspection is not automatically required solely because the tenant changes when a valid report remains in force and no investigative or remedial work is outstanding; the new tenant must receive the current report before occupation. Arrange an earlier inspection if concerns arise.

Landlords must ensure that electrical equipment they provide is safely installed and maintained. The fixed-installation EICR and checks of portable or plug-in equipment answer different questions and should be scoped separately.

Under the current England regulations, social landlords must have electrical equipment provided under the tenancy checked by a qualified person at least every five years, or sooner if the record specifies. For private rented homes, confirm the supplied equipment, its condition and the reason for the request so an appropriate risk-based inspection or testing route can be identified.