Landlord electrical safety certificates: the duties and the deadlines.
A landlord electrical safety certificate is an Electrical Installation Condition Report, and landlords in England must have the fixed wiring in every let property inspected and tested by a qualified person at least every five years. The report is only the start: tenants must get a copy within 28 days, and any finding that makes the report unsatisfactory must be put right within 28 days, or sooner if the report says so.
Who the rules apply to.
The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 cover most private tenancies in England, including houses in multiple occupation. Since 2025 the same duties have been extended to social landlords, phased in through 2026. Lodgers living with the landlord, long leases and a few other arrangements are outside the rules, so check the government guidance if your let is unusual.
The report covers the fixed electrical installation: the wiring, the consumer unit, sockets, switches and fixed fittings. It is the same inspection described in our general guide, Do I need an EICR? This page is about what the law asks a landlord to do with it.
The duties, in the order they come up.
- Inspect and test at regular intervals. At least every five years, by a qualified and competent person. If the last report recommends a shorter interval, that shorter interval is the one that applies.
- Give existing tenants a copy within 28 days of the inspection.
- Give new tenants a copy before they move in, and prospective tenants a copy within 28 days of asking.
- Give the local authority a copy within 7 days if they ask for one.
- Keep the report and give a copy to whoever carries out the next inspection.
When the report comes back unsatisfactory.
A report is unsatisfactory if it records any of three codes. C1 means danger present, C2 means potentially dangerous, and FI means further investigation is needed without delay. C3 is a recommendation only and does not make the report unsatisfactory.
- Remedial or investigative work must be done within 28 days, or within any shorter period the report specifies.
- If the investigation finds more work, that work has its own deadline and has to be done too.
- Written confirmation that the work is complete, from the person who did it, must go to the tenant and to the local authority within 28 days of finishing.
File that confirmation with the original report. Together they are your evidence that the property is compliant. On their own, an unsatisfactory report and an invoice are not.
What happens if you do not comply.
The local authority can serve a remedial notice requiring the work to be done. If it is not, the council can arrange the work itself and recover the cost from you, and it can arrange urgent work where there is an imminent risk. It can also impose a financial penalty of up to £40,000 for a breach. There are routes to appeal, but the simplest defence is a current report, the confirmation for any remedials, and proof that tenants received both.
Keeping it manageable across a portfolio.
- Book the inspection between tenancies where you can. Access is easier and remedial work does not disturb anyone.
- Track the recommended date, not the five-year date, for every property.
- Ask for the remedial price with the report, so the 28-day clock is not spent getting quotes.
We carry out landlord EICRs across Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Northamptonshire, arrange access with your tenants, and price any remedials straight from the report. For commercial property, see fixed wire testing for commercial premises.
Sources: GOV.UK: Electrical safety standards in the private and social rented sectors, guidance; The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020; The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) (Amendment) (Extension to the Social Rented Sector) Regulations 2025.
Asked about this.
How long is a landlord electrical safety certificate valid for?
Up to five years. If the report recommends an earlier re-inspection, that earlier date applies instead, so check the recommended date on the report rather than assuming five years.
Do I need a new EICR for every new tenancy?
No. A current report remains valid across tenancies, but each new tenant must be given a copy before they move in.
What happens if my EICR fails?
Any C1, C2 or FI finding must be put right within 28 days, or sooner if the report says so. You then need written confirmation from the electrician that the work is complete, and that confirmation must go to the tenant and the local authority within 28 days.
What is the fine for not having a landlord EICR?
The local authority can impose a financial penalty of up to £40,000 for a breach of the regulations, as well as serving a remedial notice and recovering the cost of any work it arranges itself.