Landlords in England, Scotland and Wales must have the electrical installation in a rented home inspected at least every 5 years by a qualified person and hold a satisfactory Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR). In England the duty comes from the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020, which also require a copy to be given to tenants within 28 days of the inspection, remedial work to be done within 28 days of an Unsatisfactory report, and allow councils to fine up to £30,000 per breach. Scotland and Wales have equivalent five-yearly duties. This page explains the rules in plain English for landlords and letting agents and links to the detailed guide on each point.
- An EICR is a report on the fixed wiring of a property, not the appliances. It is Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory.
- England, Scotland and Wales: an EICR at least every 5 years, or sooner if the previous report says so.
- Unsatisfactory means at least one C1, C2 or FI item; in England remedial work must be complete within 28 days.
- Copies go to tenants, to new tenants before they move in, and to the council on request.
- HMOs carry additional licence conditions on top of the national rules.
What are the rules in each country?
| England (private rentals) | Scotland (private rentals) | Wales (private rentals) | HMOs in England | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Law | Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 | Housing (Scotland) Act 2006, Repairing Standard, in force for electrical safety since 1 December 2015 | Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 and its fitness regulations, in force since 1 December 2022 | 2020 Regulations plus Housing Act 2004 licence conditions and the 2006 HMO Management Regulations |
| Interval | At least every 5 years, or sooner if the report says | At least every 5 years | At least every 5 years | Every 5 years; the licence may require more often |
| Copy to existing tenant | Within 28 days of the inspection | Within 28 days of the inspection | Within 14 days of the inspection | Within 28 days, plus any licence condition |
| Copy to new tenant | Before they occupy the property | Before the tenancy starts | Within 14 days of the occupation date | Before occupation |
| Copy to council | Within 7 days of a written request | On request by the local authority | On request | Within 7 days of request; often a licence condition |
| Remedial work | Within 28 days, or sooner if the report says | Without unreasonable delay under the Repairing Standard | Property may be treated as unfit until fixed | Within 28 days, plus licence conditions |
| Penalties | Civil penalty up to £30,000 per breach; council can do the work and recover costs | Tenant can apply to the First-tier Tribunal; rent penalty and landlord registration consequences | Property treated as unfit; rent may not be payable while in breach | Up to £30,000 civil penalty or unlimited fine on conviction for licence breaches |
The detailed England guide is Landlord EICRs in England: what the 2020 regulations require. Scotland and Wales are covered together in EICR Landlord Requirements in Scotland and Wales (vs England), and HMOs in EICR for HMOs: Rules, Scope and Common Findings in England. Social housing in England is being brought under equivalent duties by the Renters' Rights Act 2025.
What is an EICR and what does it check?
An EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report) is a written report by a qualified electrician on the condition of the fixed electrical installation: the consumer unit (fuse box), the wiring in the walls, sockets, switches, light fittings and the earthing. It does not cover portable appliances (/guides/pat-testing-guide-uk) or the meter and supply cable, which belong to the network operator. What is an EICR? Electrical Installation Condition Report explains the document in full, and EICR vs EIC: What's the Difference? (and Minor Works) explains why a new consumer unit or rewire produces an Electrical Installation Certificate instead.
The electrician inspects visually, then tests each circuit with the power off and again with it on, following BS 7671, the UK wiring regulations. Some of the inspection may be sampled; EICR Sampling and Limitations Explained: Extent, LIM and N/V explains what "limitations" on the report mean.
What do the codes on the report mean?
Every problem found is given one of four codes, defined in BS 7671 and explained in Electrical Safety First Best Practice Guide 4:
- C1, danger present. Someone could be injured now; the electrician will usually make it safe on the spot.
- C2, potentially dangerous. Urgent remedial work is needed, for example no RCD protection for sockets.
- C3, improvement recommended. Not dangerous, but not up to current standards. No legal duty to fix it.
- FI, further investigation required. Something needs more work to diagnose before it can be coded.
Any C1, C2 or FI makes the report Unsatisfactory; C3 items alone give a Satisfactory result. EICR observation codes explained: C1, C2, C3 and FI gives worked examples, and How to Write EICR Observations That Stand Up shows what a well-written observation looks like.
What happens if the report is Unsatisfactory?
An Unsatisfactory report is common on older properties and is not a fine in itself; in England it starts a 28-day clock. The landlord must have the C1, C2 and FI items dealt with by a qualified person within 28 days, or sooner if the report specifies, then obtain written confirmation and give it to the tenant and, if requested, the council. Unsatisfactory EICR: What Happens Next (Landlords & Electricians) walks through the steps and the paperwork the remedial work produces (/guides/minor-works-certificate-when-to-use-it for small fixes, Consumer Unit Replacement: Which Certificate and What to Check for a new board).
Two items come up so often on rental EICRs that they have their own guides: Smart Meters and Isolators on EICRs: What to Record explains why a smart meter or missing isolator is the supplier's responsibility, and What is an RCD? Types AC, A, F, B and RCBOs explained explains the RCD, whose absence is the most common C2 in pre-2008 properties.
How often, how long and how much?
The legal minimum in all three countries is every 5 years, but the inspector may set a shorter interval on the report if the installation warrants it, and that shorter date then applies. How Often Is an EICR Required? Intervals by Property Type sets out the intervals for rentals, HMOs, owner-occupied homes and commercial premises. Additional checks may be needed when a tenancy changes if the previous report is close to expiry.
On site, allow 1.5 to 2 hours for a small flat and 3 to 4 hours for a three-bedroom house; How Long Does an EICR Take? Typical Times by Property Type gives timings by property size. Price depends on the number of circuits, the region and access; How to Price an EICR: A Method for Electricians shows what a fair quote is based on and why a very cheap EICR may be sampling too little.
What about HMOs and commercial lets?
A house in multiple occupation (HMO) is covered by the same national EICR rules plus licensing. Mandatory licence conditions under the Housing Act 2004 include supplying the EICR to the council within 7 days of a request, and the Management of Houses in Multiple Occupation (England) Regulations 2006 add a continuing duty to keep the installation safe; see EICR for HMOs: Rules, Scope and Common Findings in England. Commercial lets are governed by the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 rather than a fixed interval; see EICR for Commercial Premises: Intervals, Duties and Defects.
Who can carry out the inspection and how do I check?
The 2020 Regulations require a "qualified and competent person". Membership of a competent person scheme such as NICEIC or NAPIT is the usual evidence and their online registers can be checked; NICEIC vs NAPIT: Which Scheme Should an Electrician Join? explains what the schemes assess. Confirm the report follows the BS 7671 model form, with extent, limitations, observations and a schedule of test results. Keep it at least until the next one (/guides/electrical-certificate-retention-and-gdpr); a PDF is as valid as paper (/guides/digital-vs-paper-electrical-certificates).
How Certio helps
Certio produces the EICR, EIC, Minor Works certificate and PAT records on the BS 7671 model forms and turns them into branded PDFs. Photograph the consumer unit and the circuit schedule drafts itself; point the phone camera at a Megger MFT-X1 and the reading goes straight into the schedule of test results, or dictate it while your hands stay on the probes. Suggested observation wording with the regulation reference is there for you to check and confirm. The judgement stays yours; the typing goes. Starter is free for 7 days, then £5 a month.