Landlord electrical certificates

• Get the installation inspected and tested at least every five years, or sooner if the last report says so.
• Give a copy of the report to existing tenants within 28 days of the inspection.
• Give a copy to new tenants before they move in, and to prospective tenants within 28 days of a request.
• Send a copy to the local council within 7 days if it asks for one.
• Where the report needs remedial work or further investigation, complete it within 28 days, or sooner if the report says so, then confirm it in writing to the tenant and the council within 28 days of completion.

Councils can impose financial penalties of up to £30,000 per breach. The rules apply to most assured shorthold tenancies, licences to occupy and HMOs.

The Electrical Safety Standards were extended to the social rented sector by regulations made in September 2025. Housing associations and other registered providers must meet the same five-year inspection, 28-day remedial and copy-to-tenant duties. For tenancies that already existed before 1 December 2025, the first inspection had to be done by 1 November 2026. Social landlords also have to check electrical appliances they supply, which we cover with PAT testing on the same visit.

Houses in multiple occupation get more scrutiny. Milton Keynes, West Northamptonshire and Bedford all run HMO licensing, and licence applications and renewals ask for a current EICR. Licence conditions often also ask for PAT records for any appliances you supply, and for the fire alarm and emergency lighting to be maintained. We can test all of these in one visit, so there is one access appointment for your tenants rather than three.

Under BS 7671 since Amendment 2, new socket circuits in HMOs also need arc fault detection devices (AFDDs). If your report recommends upgrading the consumer unit, we'll explain what applies to your property and what doesn't.

Rented homes fail on the same handful of things over and over:

• No RCD protection on socket circuits, or on circuits for cables buried in walls;
• Old plastic consumer units that have been damaged or have missing blanks;
• Missing or undersized main protective bonding to the gas and water pipes;
• Damaged accessories, especially kitchen sockets and outside lights;
• Tenant DIY: extra sockets spurred off without protection, or light fittings changed without an earth.

We code each one strictly according to the guidance, which is not always a fail. A report with only C3 improvement items is satisfactory. Our guide to EICR codes explains the difference.

Letting agents can send us a batch of addresses. We contact tenants directly, offer them appointment times and confirm by text. If we can't get in, we tell you the same day and record our attempts, which is useful evidence that you've taken reasonable steps. Reports go to whoever needs them, usually the landlord and the managing agent.