Landlord electrical safety certificate – is it time to renew your EICR?

In 2020, a new law (the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations) passed, requiring landlords to have a qualified professional inspect the electrical installation at their rental properties every five years.

It’s been over five years since this law was passed, which means many rental properties may be due a new inspection and a new EICR certificate. You could face a financial penalty of up to £40,000 if you don’t comply.

But what is an EICR certificate? Keep reading to learn more about:

EICR meaning

So what is an EICR? It stands for Electrical Installation Condition Report. With requirements for landlords meaning that you must have your property professionally tested every five years, you’ll need to complete this report to get an EICR certificate.

An EICR report is completed by a qualified electrician after testing the electrical safety of a property.

The report will outline whether the electrical installations are dangerous, with the potential to cause fire risks or electric shocks.

To complete an EICR report, the electrician will inspect the property, checking for things like signs of overheating or damage to installations.

The final report will recommend any remedial work that needs doing to make the property safe or whether further investigation is needed.

A new safety report doesn’t need to be carried out every time a tenant moves out. However, a landlord must supply new tenants with a copy of the current EICR at the beginning of their tenancy.

You can read the full regulations on the government website.

EICR certificate cost

The cost of getting your electrical certificate depends on a number of factors, including:

• the size of your home
• how many appliances you have
• the day rate of the electrician you use

Checkatrade (updated February 2026) gives a typical range of £100 to £250, with flats from around £100.

Electrical testing for landlords: the regulations

These regulations involve inspection and testing for all properties in the private and social rented sector in England. There are three key elements you need to be aware of:

1. Inspection every five years

A key feature of the ruling is inspection. Landlords will need to make sure all electrical installations in their property are inspected and tested by a qualified person every five years (at least).

You’re legally obliged to supply a copy of the inspection and test report to new, existing, and prospective tenants, as well as your local authority if they ask for it. Here are the timescales you’ll need to work to:

• existing tenants: within 28 days of the inspection and test
• new tenants: before they occupy the premises
• prospective tenants: within 28 days of receiving a request
• local authority: within seven days of receiving a request

2. Meet the national standards

The national standards for electrical safety are set out in the 18th edition of the ‘Wiring Regulations’. You can find these on the government website, and may need to talk them through with a qualified electrician.

3. Do any remedial or investigative work

Any remedial work required in your report needs to be completed within 28 days of the test report (or a shorter time period, if specified). You must supply the tenant and local council with the report and written confirmation from the electrician that they’ve completed the work, within 28 days of finishing the job.

Which tenancies do the regulations cover?

For private rentals, existing tenancies have had to comply from 1 April 2021, while all new tenancies have been under this legislation since 1 July 2020.

The rules were extended to the social rented sector in 2025. They apply to new social housing tenancies from 1 December 2025. For social tenancies granted before 1 December 2025, the regulations came into force on 1 May 2026, meaning the first inspection and test must be completed before 1 November 2026.

This will usually include assured shorthold tenancies, licences to occupy, and certain Houses of Multiple Occupation (HMOs).

There are exceptions, including:

• lodgers
• long leases of seven years or more
• student halls of residence
• hostels and refuges
• care homes
• specific healthcare accommodation

All of these will carry their own regulations, though, so read up on the different types of tenancy and make sure you’re meeting them.

EICR preparations

Aside from the regulations outlined above, you’ll need to make sure your inspection and testing are booked in, and your installations are safe. So if your last EICR was dated before 14 September 2021, it’s now due or overdue.

Here’s what you need to do next.

Find someone to carry out your test

They’ll need to be ‘qualified and competent’, and you’ll need to get the test repeated every five years. Use the government website for guidance on how to find a qualified person.

Prepare your property

Ahead of the test, make sure you’re clear on where all the relevant installations are, if possible. These will include:

• your fixed electrical parts (such as wiring)
• socket outlets (or plug sockets)
• light fittings
• consumer unit (or fuse box)
• permanently connected equipment like showers and extractors

Useful guides for buy-to-let landlords

• Is there an air source heat pump grant for landlords?
• Is now a good time to buy a house?
• Help with rent arrears – a guide for landlords
• Renters’ Rights Act explained – new rules for landlords