EICR requirements for landlords: the Private Rented Sector regulations explained

Helpful video reference. Artisan Electrics' video "This is a Game Changer for Domestic Electricians" explains the impact of the Private Rented Sector regulations on landlords and electricians when the rules came into force. The Cambridge-based channel covers the core requirements clearly, including the five-year inspection cycle and remediation obligations.

1. Which tenancies are covered?

The regulations apply to most private residential tenancies in England, including:

• Assured shorthold tenancies (the most common form of private tenancy)
• Assured tenancies
• Licences to occupy (in most cases)

Properties that are exempt include those let on social housing terms, those where the tenant shares accommodation with the landlord (lodger arrangements), student halls of residence managed by an educational institution, long leases of seven years or more, and a small number of other specified categories. If you are unsure whether your property is covered, check the government guidance or take professional advice.

2. The five-year inspection cycle

You must have the electrical installation in your rented property inspected and tested at intervals of no more than five years by a qualified person. The result is an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR).

If your most recent EICR specifies a shorter period — for example, three years because the installation is older or the wiring is partly in a deteriorating condition — you must follow that shorter interval. An EICR is only as good as the next one it specifies.

The five-year clock runs from the date of the inspection, not from the date of any previous certificate or the date of your tenancy. If you bought a tenanted property with an existing EICR, check the date on the report, not the date you acquired the property.

3. Who can carry out the inspection?

The regulations require the inspection to be carried out by a "qualified person." In practice this means an electrician who:

• Holds a relevant qualification for inspection and testing (typically City and Guilds 2391 or equivalent), or
• Is registered with a competent-person scheme whose scope includes inspection and testing, such as NICEIC, NAPIT, STROMA, or ELECSA

A general domestic installer without specific inspection and testing qualifications is not a qualified person for this purpose. Ask your electrician to confirm their qualifications and scheme membership before commissioning the work. In east Kent, Richard holds the relevant qualifications and carries out landlord EICRs across Sandwich, Deal, Dover, Ramsgate and the surrounding area.

4. What the EICR covers

The inspector will visually examine and test the electrical installation throughout the property, including:

• The consumer unit (fuse box) and its circuit protection devices
• Earthing and bonding arrangements
• The condition of fixed wiring (cables, accessories, switches, sockets)
• Protection against electric shock and overcurrent
• Polarity, insulation resistance, and earth fault loop impedance of each circuit
• Operation of RCDs under test

For occupied properties, the inspector will usually not move furniture, lift floor coverings or open wall surfaces. The report is a condition report, not a rewire specification. It assesses the installation as found at the time of inspection.

5. The EICR result: satisfactory or unsatisfactory

An EICR will carry one of two overall verdicts:

• Satisfactory — the installation is in a reasonable condition for continued service. There may be C3 (improvement recommended) observations, but these do not make the report unsatisfactory.
• Unsatisfactory — the installation has at least one C1 (danger present) or C2 (potentially dangerous) defect, or a further investigation (FI) that has not been resolved.

C1 defects pose an immediate risk of injury or death. The inspector may make the installation safe before leaving or may advise you to isolate the circuit. You cannot let the property with a C1 defect outstanding.

C2 defects are potentially dangerous and must be remediated within 28 days. C3 observations are recommendations; you are not legally required to act on them, though doing so is usually sensible.

6. Remediation deadlines

If the EICR is unsatisfactory, you must:

1. Have the C1 and C2 defects remediated by a qualified electrician within 28 days of the inspection date — or within any shorter period specified in the report for C1 defects.
2. Obtain written confirmation from the electrician who carried out the remedial work that the defects have been addressed. This is usually a Minor Electrical Installation Works Certificate or an Electrical Installation Certificate depending on the nature of the work.
3. Supply copies of the original EICR and the remediation confirmation to each tenant within 28 days of the inspection and to the local authority within 7 days of their request.

You do not need to commission a full new EICR after remediation unless the original inspector recommends one. The remediation certificate, read alongside the EICR, demonstrates compliance.

7. Providing copies to tenants

You must give a copy of the current EICR to:

• Each existing tenant within 28 days of the inspection date
• Any new tenant before they occupy the property (or on move-in day at the latest)
• Any prospective tenant within 28 days of a written request
• The local authority within 7 days of a written request

Keep a record that you sent each copy and the date you sent it. A simple email with the PDF attached creates a timestamped audit trail.

8. Penalties for non-compliance

Local authorities enforce the regulations. If you do not comply, the local authority can:

• Issue a remediation notice requiring you to carry out the inspection or remedial work within a set period.
• Carry out the work themselves and recover the cost from you, plus any associated costs.
• Issue a financial penalty of up to £30,000 per breach. "Per breach" matters: failure to provide a copy to a tenant, failure to have the inspection, and failure to remediate a defect can each be treated as separate breaches.

The regulations do not create a criminal offence, but a penalty notice can be appealed to a First-tier Tribunal within 28 days of receiving it. If you receive a penalty notice or a remediation notice, take legal advice before responding.

9. Scotland and Wales

The 2020 regulations apply in England only. Scotland requires landlords to carry out electrical installation checks under the Repairing Standard as part of the conditions for private landlord registration. Wales introduced its own requirements under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016. If you let properties in Scotland or Wales, check the relevant legislation for those nations separately.

When to call us

Richard carries out landlord EICRs across east Kent, including Sandwich, Deal, Dover, Ramsgate, Canterbury and the surrounding villages. Inspections are booked at a time convenient for tenants. The report is emailed the same day, and any remediation work can usually be booked within a few days. Contact Richard for a quote.