If you are letting a property in England you have a legal duty to hold a satisfactory Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR). This guide covers exactly what the report contains, how often you need one, what an "unsatisfactory" report means, and the fines for getting it wrong.
The legal basis
The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 made EICRs a legal requirement for every private rental in England from 1 April 2021. Similar rules apply in Scotland (Housing (Scotland) Act 2014) and are progressing through the Welsh government.
What does the report actually inspect?
An EICR is a thorough inspection of the fixed electrical installation — the wiring behind your walls, the consumer unit, sockets, light fittings, earthing and bonding. Portable appliances (kettles, TVs, chargers) are covered by a separate PAT test.
- Every circuit tested against BS 7671 (18th Edition)
- Insulation resistance test on every cable
- Earth continuity and earth fault loop impedance checks
- RCD trip time verification
- Visual inspection of accessible sockets, switches and fittings
C1, C2, C3 — what do the codes mean?
The electrician assigns a code to each observation. Only C1 and C2 codes make the report "unsatisfactory":
- C1 — Danger present. Immediate remedial action required.
- C2 — Potentially dangerous. Urgent remedial action required within 28 days.
- C3 — Improvement recommended. No obligation to act but advisable.
- FI — Further investigation required.
Renewal frequency for rental properties
Every 5 years or on change of tenancy, whichever comes first. Some local authorities enforce more frequent renewal for HMOs — check your specific licence.
The 28-day rule
If your report comes back unsatisfactory (any C1 or C2 codes), you have 28 days from receiving the report to complete remedial works and obtain written confirmation the installation is now safe. Miss the deadline and the local authority can serve a remedial notice and eventually fine you up to £30,000.
Fines and consequences
- First breach: up to £30,000 fine per property
- Repeated breach: unlimited fines and possible criminal prosecution
- Invalidated landlord insurance in the event of an electrical fire
- Rejected Section 21 eviction notices
What to give your tenant
Within 28 days of the inspection you must give a copy of the EICR to existing tenants, and to any new tenant before they move in. Local authority requests must be answered within 7 days.
How much should an EICR cost?
- 1-bed flat: £120–£150 + VAT
- 2/3-bed house: £150–£200 + VAT
- 4-bed HMO: £200–£300 + VAT
- Commercial premises: quoted per circuit
Beware anyone quoting below £100 for a single-property EICR — a proper inspection genuinely takes 2–3 hours and produces a 10+ page report. If it costs a fraction of the market rate it probably was not done properly.
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