EICR: Electrical Safety Requirements for Landlords in England
The full statutory basis, evidence requirements, deadlines, and penalty detail for EICR inspection cycle, distribution deadlines, and remedial work duty are on the dedicated obligation page.
View Electrical Safety EICR obligation →Private landlords in England are required to have an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) carried out on the fixed electrical installation at each rental property at least every five years, or more frequently if the report specifies. The obligation is set out in the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020. This guide explains what is required, what the inspection codes mean, what remediation is required, and what the consequences of non-compliance may be. It is derived from the Regulations and official GOV.UK guidance. It is not legal advice.
Local housing authorities can impose a civil penalty of up to £30,000 per relevant breach for failure to comply with the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020. This applies per breach, which means multiple properties or multiple failures could each attract a separate penalty. The local authority can also arrange for remedial work to be carried out and recover the costs from the landlord.
What landlords are required to do
Regulation 3 of the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 sets out the core obligations. Landlords must:
- Ensure the electrical installation is inspected and tested. An EICR must be carried out on the fixed electrical installation at least every five years, or at whatever shorter interval the previous report specifies. The inspection must be carried out by a qualified and competent person.
- Obtain a written report. The inspector must produce a written report — the EICR — setting out the results of the inspection, any observations, and the date by which the next inspection should be carried out.
- Carry out remedial work. Where the EICR identifies required remedial work (Code 1 or Code 2 observations — see below), the landlord must carry out that work within 28 days of the inspection, or sooner if the report specifies a shorter period, or sooner if the report specifies a shorter period. Written confirmation that the work has been completed must then be obtained from a qualified person.
- Provide copies to tenants. A copy of the EICR must be provided to tenants within the timescales set out below.
- Provide a copy to the local housing authority on request. If the local housing authority requests a copy of the EICR, it must be provided within seven days.
Understanding EICR inspection codes
When an EICR is carried out, the inspector assigns codes to any observations noted during the inspection. These codes determine what action the landlord is required to take and how urgently.
| Code | Description | Required action |
|---|---|---|
| C1 | Danger present — risk of injury. Immediate remedial action required. | Immediate remedial action. The inspector may make the installation safe before leaving. Work must be completed as soon as possible and in any event within 28 days (or sooner if specified). |
| C2 | Potentially dangerous — urgent remedial action required. | Remedial work required within 28 days of the inspection, or sooner if the report specifies a shorter period. Written confirmation of completion required. |
| C3 | Improvement recommended. Not a failure — no obligation to act, but improvement is advised. | No legal obligation to carry out the improvement, though it is good practice to consider it. The overall report may still be satisfactory with C3 observations present. |
| FI | Further investigation required without delay. | Investigation must be carried out promptly. Further investigation may reveal a C1 or C2 condition, in which case the remediation requirements above apply. |
A report with only C3 observations may still be classified as satisfactory. A report with any C1, C2, or FI observation is unsatisfactory, and the landlord must carry out the required work within 28 days (or the shorter period specified) and obtain written confirmation that it has been completed.
Who can carry out the inspection
The Regulations require the inspection and testing to be carried out by a "qualified person." The Regulations define this as a person who is competent to undertake the inspection and testing of electrical installations and to provide an EICR.
In practice, this typically means a qualified electrician who is registered with a competent person scheme such as NICEIC, NAPIT, or ELECSA, and who holds the relevant qualifications for inspection and testing. Before instructing an inspector, landlords should check that the inspector holds appropriate qualifications and is registered with a recognised scheme.
The Regulations do not require the inspection to be carried out by a specific named scheme, but using a registered inspector provides evidence that the competency requirement has been met. The government's guidance on the Regulations recommends using an inspector registered with a recognised body.
Providing the EICR to tenants
The timing requirements for providing the EICR differ depending on the tenancy situation:
| Situation | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Existing tenants | Copy of the EICR must be provided within 28 days of the inspection being completed. |
| New tenants | Copy must be provided before or at the start of the tenancy. |
| Prospective tenants requesting a copy | Must be provided within 28 days of the request. |
| Local housing authority request | Must be provided within 7 days of the request. |
| After remedial work | Written confirmation of completion must be provided to tenants within 28 days of the work being finished. |
Landlords should retain proof that the EICR was provided to tenants and on what date. Where remedial work has been carried out, the written confirmation of completion should also be provided to tenants and retained on file.
Remedial work: the 28-day requirement
Where an EICR identifies Code 1 or Code 2 observations, the landlord must arrange for the required remedial work to be carried out within 28 days of the date of the inspection, unless the report specifies a shorter period. This is a regulatory requirement, not a recommendation.
Once the remedial work has been completed, the landlord must obtain written confirmation from a qualified person that the work has been carried out to the standard required by the Wiring Regulations (BS 7671). This written confirmation — sometimes provided as an Electrical Installation Certificate or a Minor Works Certificate depending on the scope of work — must then be provided to tenants within 28 days of the work being completed and retained.
Obtaining the EICR is only the first step. Landlords who receive an unsatisfactory report and do not arrange remedial work within 28 days are in breach of the Regulations even if they subsequently carry out the work. Prompt action on receiving any C1, C2, or FI observation is essential.
New tenancies and existing EICRs
Where a valid EICR already exists for the property and a new tenancy begins, the landlord must provide a copy of the existing EICR to the new tenant before or at the start of the tenancy. The landlord does not need to commission a new EICR simply because a new tenancy has started, provided the existing report remains valid (i.e., the five-year period has not expired and the report did not specify an earlier inspection date).
When the existing EICR expires, or when the date specified in the report is reached, a new inspection must be arranged regardless of how recently a new tenancy began.
Penalties for non-compliance
The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 are enforced by local housing authorities. The enforcement options available to a local authority include:
- Civil penalty: Up to £30,000 per relevant breach.
- Remedial notice: Requiring the landlord to carry out specified remedial action within 28 days.
- Carrying out works: The local authority may arrange for the work to be carried out itself and recover the reasonable costs from the landlord.
In addition to financial penalties, local housing authorities may serve remedial notices requiring the landlord to carry out specified remedial action and may arrange for works to be carried out in default, recovering reasonable costs from the landlord.
The £30,000 penalty is a civil penalty — it does not result in a criminal conviction. However, it is a significant financial exposure, particularly for landlords with multiple properties where each property could attract a separate penalty for a separate breach.
Records and evidence
The Regulations require the EICR and any written confirmation of remedial work to be retained and provided to tenants and the local authority as described above. Beyond the regulatory minimum, landlords are well served by maintaining a complete electrical safety evidence trail that includes:
- The EICR for each inspection, showing the date, outcome codes, and next inspection date
- The date the EICR was provided to each tenant and the method of service
- Any remedial work certificates or completion confirmations
- The date remedial completion evidence was provided to each tenant
LettingsLedger tracks your EICR expiry date and sends advance reminders before the five-year period expires. It records the date the report was provided to each tenant, tracks any remedial work deadlines, and stores the completion confirmation — all timestamped in your evidence pack.