If you let a property in England, you need a landlord EICR, also called a landlord electrical safety certificate. It is a legal requirement under the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020, and it applies to every private tenancy, including HMOs.
We carry out EICRs for rented property across Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire for private landlords, letting agents and portfolio owners. Our own Level 3 qualified electricians do the testing. We liaise with your tenants to arrange access and email you the full report with a copy ready for the tenant and your agent.
A landlord's legal duties
Under the 2020 regulations, a private landlord must:
- Make sure the electrical installation meets the national standards (BS 7671) during each tenancy.
- Have it inspected and tested by a qualified and competent person at least every five years, or more often if the report says so.
- Give a copy of the report to each existing tenant within 28 days of the inspection.
- Give a copy to any new tenant before they move in, and to a prospective tenant within 28 days if they ask for it.
- Give a copy to the local council within 7 days if it asks for one.
- Keep a copy for the inspector who carries out the next test.
- If the report is unsatisfactory, complete the remedial work or further investigation within 28 days, or sooner if the report says so, then get written confirmation from a qualified person and send it to the tenant and the council within 28 days.
Councils can impose civil penalties of up to £30,000 for breaches, and can arrange the remedial work themselves and recover the cost from you. See can a landlord be fined for no EICR?.
What the inspection covers in a rented home
The EICR covers the fixed installation: the consumer unit, wiring, sockets, switches, light fittings, fixed appliances such as showers and cookers, and the earthing and bonding. Every circuit is inspected and tested. Appliances you supply are not part of the EICR, but it is good practice to have them PAT tested separately.
Booking around your tenants
Most of our landlord customers aren't at the property when we test, so we:
- contact the tenant directly to agree a time, if you want us to
- explain that the power will be off for parts of the test and roughly when
- work tidily and leave the property as we found it
- email the report to you, ready to forward to the tenant and your agent
If the report is unsatisfactory
If we record a C1, C2 or FI item, the report is unsatisfactory and the 28-day clock starts. Don't start a new tenancy until it is put right. See moving a tenant in with a failed EICR. Any C1 (danger present) is made safe before we leave. You get a fixed-price quote for the remedial work with the report, so you can approve it without chasing. Once the work is done, we issue written confirmation that the installation is now satisfactory, which is the document you send to your tenant and, if asked, the council.
Landlord EICR prices
Prices are fixed by property size and include VAT, the full test and the written report: £149 for a flat or 1-bed house, £179 for a 2–3 bed house, £229 for a 4–5 bed house, and from £249 for an HMO. If you have several properties, call us and we will quote for the batch and book them in a sensible order. See EICR prices for how the price bands work.
Selective licensing in Nottinghamshire
Some councils add licensing on top of the national rules. Nottingham City Council runs selective licensing across much of the city and additional licensing for smaller HMOs, and licence holders must keep their electrical safety paperwork current. Elsewhere, check whether your street falls within a licensing scheme with the relevant council, for example Mansfield, Ashfield, Broxtowe, Gedling or Bassetlaw.
Which properties are covered by the rules?
The 2020 regulations apply to most private tenancies in England where the tenant lives in the property as their only or main home, including assured shorthold tenancies, HMOs and licences to occupy. Some arrangements are excluded, such as lodgers living with the landlord's family, long leases of 7 years or more, student halls, hostels, refuges and care homes. Social housing has its own rules. If you are unsure whether your let is covered, call us.