In England, landlords must have the electrical installations in a rented home inspected and tested by a qualified person at least every 5 years. They must get a report, usually an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR), and give a copy to an existing tenant within 28 days of the inspection and to a new tenant before they move in.
Key points
✓If the report shows remedial or further investigative work is needed, the landlord must complete it within 28 days, or sooner if the report says so.
✓Local councils can impose a financial penalty of up to £40,000 on landlords who break the rules.
✓Since 2025 the rules in England also cover social housing, not only private renting.
✓Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland also require an electrical inspection at least every 5 years.
What does an EICR check?
The inspection finds out if any electrical installations are overloaded, if there are potential electric shock risks and fire hazards, if there is any defective electrical work, and if there is a lack of earthing or bonding. The standard the electrics must meet is British Standard 7671, the 18th edition of the Wiring Regulations.
The report gives the results and sets a date for the next inspection and test. If a home is newly built or completely rewired, it should have an Electrical Installation Certificate instead, and the landlord does not need another report for 5 years after it was issued.
What do the EICR codes C1, C2, C3 and FI mean?
Code
Meaning
Does the landlord have to act?
C1
Danger present. Risk of injury.
Yes, remedial work is required
C2
Potentially dangerous.
Yes, remedial work is required
C3
Improvement recommended.
No, but it would improve safety
FI
Further investigation required without delay.
Yes, the investigation must be carried out
If codes C1 or C2 are identified, the report will state the installation is unsatisfactory for continued use. The inspector may make any C1 hazards safe before leaving the premises.
What are the landlord's deadlines?
What the landlord must do
Deadline
Give the report to an existing tenant
Within 28 days of the inspection and test
Give the report to a new tenant
Before they occupy the home
Give the report to a prospective tenant who asks
Within 28 days of the request
Give the report to the local council if it asks
Within 7 days of the request
Complete remedial or further investigative work
Within 28 days, or sooner if the report says so
Send the tenant and council written confirmation the work is done
Within 28 days of completing it
A new inspection is not needed for each new tenancy if the last one was less than 5 years ago and needed no further work: the landlord gives the new tenant a copy of the most recent report.
Which rented homes need an EICR?
In England the rules apply to all landlords if the tenant has a right to occupy the home as their only or main residence and pays rent, whether or not it is a market rent. They also apply to shared homes such as houses in multiple occupation, but not to communal areas such as stairwells and corridors.
Excluded tenancies include shared accommodation with the landlord or the landlord's family, long leases of 7 years or more, student halls of residence, hostels and refuges, care homes and hospitals, and mobile homes, caravans and boats. Our guide to HMO licensing covers the other rules for shared houses.
What if the landlord does not do the work?
If a local council has reasonable grounds to believe a landlord is in breach, it must serve a remedial notice. If the landlord does not comply, the council may arrange for the work itself and recover the costs from the landlord.
If the report says urgent remedial action is needed and the landlord has not done it, the council may, with the tenant's consent, arrange the work, giving the tenant at least 48 hours' notice. Councils can also impose a financial penalty of up to £40,000.
Some tenants can use the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 to take their landlord to court if the home is unfit, which could include being unsafe because of faulty electrical installations. Our guide to housing disrepair explains how to report problems.
Does it apply to social housing?
Yes. The regulations were updated in 2025 to include the social rented sector. They apply to social housing tenancies granted after 1 December 2025, and for tenancies granted before then, social landlords must have the installations inspected and tested before 1 November 2026.
Social landlords must also have any electrical equipment they provide checked by a qualified person at least every 5 years. Social housing tenants who have reported a problem and are not happy with the response can complain to the Housing Ombudsman.
What are the rules in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland?
Nation
What the landlord must do
Scotland
Make sure the electrical system has a safety inspection by a registered electrician at least once every 5 years, and has a Residual Current Device
Wales
Have a valid electrical condition report, valid for 5 years from the inspection, and give the contract-holder a copy within 14 days of moving in
Northern Ireland
Make sure the electrical installations are inspected and tested by a qualified person at least every five years