Electrical Installation Condition
Report (EICR) FAQs Find what you're looking for here

EICR stands for Electrical Installation Condition Report and was formerly known as a Periodic Inspection Report.

An EICR is a survey and report in which a competent and qualified person inspects and determines the safety of the fixed electrical installations in a property, and whether any remedial work needs to be completed.

The report uses the following classification codes to indicate where remedial/investigative work must be completed:

• Code 1 (C1): Danger Present, risk of injury. The electrical inspector may make any C1 hazards safe before leaving the property. Remedial work will be legally required.
• Code 2 (C2): Potentially dangerous. Remedial work will be legally required.
• Further Investigation (FI): Further investigation required without delay. Further investigation will be legally required (it is the landlord’s responsibility to ensure this happens).
• Code 3 (C3): Improvement recommended. Remedial work is not legally required, however it will improve the safety of the installation if the improvements are implemented.

As well as the classification codes that relate to electrical installations, the report will include details of any required remedial work/further investigation, and a date that the next inspection is due by.

From a legal point of view, landlords are required to comply with "The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020" by having an EICR carried out on their property at least every 5 years.

While it’s not currently a legal requirement for business owners to have an EICR, employers are responsible for the welfare of employees so it is recommended by the national standard for electric installations (BS7671) that employers have an EICR undertaken every 5 years.

From a safety point of view, unsafe electrics in a property can have severe consequences, from defective electrical work causing an electric shock to overloaded electrical installations creating an electrical fire. An EICR helps identify and rectify potential risks before they become a problem, and for this reason it’s recommended that homeowners have an EICR carried out at least every 10 years (or for homes with a pool, annually)

It’s especially advisable for older properties with wiring that was installed 25+ years ago to have this checked by a professional, as they’re more likely to have unofficial and unsafe modifications.

During an EICR survey the fixed electrical elements of a property will be inspected by a competent and qualified assessor. ‘Fixed’ electrical elements refers to things like the wiring, plug sockets, light fittings, and fuse box for the property as well as permanently connected equipment like extractors and showers. Electrical appliances such as TVs, cookers, fridges, etc. are not inspected during this survey, although landlords are recommended to regularly carry out PAT (Portable Appliance Testing) for any electrical appliance that they provide as good practice. Tenants/visitors are expected to make sure their own electrical appliances are safe.

The assessor will be inspecting to find out if:

• There are any potential electric shock risks or fire hazards.
• There is a lack of earthing or bonding (which are ways of preventing electrical shocks).
• There is any defective electrical work.
• Any electrical installations are overloaded.

After the site visit the findings of the survey are compiled into your EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report) which uses classification codes to indicate where remedial work must be completed:

• Code 1 (C1): Danger Present, risk of injury. The electrical inspector may make any C1 hazards safe before leaving the property. Remedial work will be legally required.
• Code 2 (C2): Potentially dangerous. Remedial work will be legally required.
• Further Investigation (FI): Further investigation required without delay. Further investigation will be legally required (it is the landlord’s responsibility to ensure this happens).
• Code 3 (C3): Improvement recommended. Further remedial work is not required for the report to be deemed satisfactory. Remedial work is not legally required, however it will improve the safety of the installation if the improvements are implemented.

As well as the classification codes that relate to electrical installations, the report will include details of any required remedial work/further investigation, and a date that the next inspection is due by.

If remedial work or further investigation is required landlords must complete this work in 28 days (or less if specified in the report) and provide written confirmation that the work has been carried out to both their tenant and local authority.

If the remedial work is not undertaken and the local authority has reasonable grounds to believe that the landlord is breaching one (or more) of their duties in the Regulations then they will serve a remedial notice on the landlord. If the remedial work is still not undertaken then the local authority may arrange for remedial action to be taken, and can recover the costs of the remedial actions from the landlord.

Faults found during your EICR inspection will be marked using the following codes:

• Code 1 (C1): Danger Present, risk of injury. The electrical inspector may make any C1 hazards safe before leaving the property. Remedial work will be legally required.
• Code 2 (C2): Potentially dangerous. Remedial work will be legally required.
• Further Investigation (FI): Further investigation required without delay. Further investigation will be legally required (it is the landlord’s responsibility to ensure this happens).
• Code 3 (C3): Improvement recommended. Remedial work is not legally required, however it will improve the safety of the installation if the improvements are implemented.

If any C1 or C2 faults are identified, the inspection will be "Unsatisfactory", meaning that the property requires the recommended work to be deemed safe.

Landlords must legally have this work carried out within 28 days (or sooner, if required by the inspector). Written confirmation of these repairs provided by the inspector must be provided to both the tenants and local authority.

Another EICR does not need to be carried out after the works, the written confirmation of the works improves the “unsatisfactory” EICR result to "satisfactory".

If the property is empty at the time of the unsatisfactory EICR, tenants cannot be moved into the property until the remedial work has been completed.

It’s recommended that homeowners have an EICR carried out for their property at least every ten years, or annually for properties with pools.

However, for landlords EICRs must be carried out every 5 years to be compliant with The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020

The government’s guide on electrical safety for landlords, it clearly states landlords must “Ensure the electrical installations in their rented properties are inspected and tested by a qualified and competent person”. While here and in the Electrical Safety Standards 2020 it does not define exactly what qualifications or experience make for a “qualified and competent person”, however the guidance does provide suggestions to how landlords can potentially find a qualified and competent person:

• "Check if the inspector is a member of a competent person scheme; or
• Require the inspector to sign a checklist certifying their competence, including their experience, whether they have adequate insurance and hold a qualification covering the current version of the Wiring Regulations and the periodic inspection, testing and certification of electrical installations."

Essentially, it is not suitable for landlords to carry out their own EICRs, and they should always find a well experienced and insured electrician.

Here at Easy EPC, we have an expert team of electricians who have a wealth of experience along with all of the necessary insurances to carry out your EICR. Please feel free to ask more when getting your EICR quote.

Yes, EICRs are a legal requirement for landlords, who must have an EICR carried out on their rental properties at least every five years.

Failure to comply with EICR legislation can lead to financial penalties of £30,000.

For rental properties, EICRs are valid for a maximum of 5 years, unless the inspector determines that the property needs to be inspected sooner to ensure it’s safe for tenants.

For non-rental properties, it’s recommended that homeowners have an EICR carried out at least every 10 years, or annually for properties with a pool.

For rental properties, it is the landlord’s responsibility to commission and pay for the EICR.

• Domestic landlords.
• Employers who have a legal duty of care for employers.
• Homeowners.

Local authorities.

Domestic landlords must legally have the electrical installations in their properties inspected and tested at least every 5 years, this applies to both new and existing tenancies.

Employers are responsible for the welfare of their employees so it is recommended by the national standard for electric installations (BS7671) that employers have an EICR undertaken every 5 years.

For homeowners, the national standard for electric installations (BS7671) recommends having an EICR carried out at least every 10 years, especially if you are moving into a new home, your insurance requires it, or if you have suspicions that the current electrics are faulty or old. Properties with swimming pools are advised to commission EICRs annually.

While it’s not a legal requirement to have when selling a property, it can give potential buyers peace of mind and encouragement that the electrical aspects of the property are safe.

In July 2020 EICRs became mandatory for new domestic tenancies, and by April 2021 this was applied to existing tenancies too.

Landlords had until 1st April 2021 to make sure their properties had a valid EICR with any remedial work completed. Any landlords not complying with this now are breaking the law and are susceptible to fines up to £30,000.

EICRs inspect and test the fixed electrical installations in a property including, but not limited to:

• Wiring
• Plug sockets
• Light fittings
• Fuse boxes
• Air conditioning
• Permanently connected equipment like showers and extractors.

Appliances like televisions, cookers, fridges, freezers, microwaves, kettles, etc. are not inspected during an EICR survey, however as good practice landlords are recommended to regularly carry out PAT (Portable Appliance Testing) on any electrical appliance they supply for their tenants. Tenants or visitors are expected to ensure their own electrical appliances are safe for use.

During the survey, the fixed electrical parts of a property will be inspected by a competent and qualified assessor. ‘Fixed’ refers to things like the wiring, plug sockets, light fittings, and fuse box for the property as well as permanently connected equipment like extractors and showers. Tenants/visitors are expected to make sure their own electrical appliances are safe.

The assessor will be inspecting to find out if:

• There are any potential electric shock risks or fire hazards.
• There is a lack of earthing or bonding (which are ways of preventing electrical shocks).
• There is any defective electrical work.
• Any electrical installations are overloaded.

After the site visit the findings of the survey are compiled into your EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report) which uses classification codes to indicate where remedial work must be completed:

• Code 1 (C1): Danger Present, risk of injury. The electrical inspector may make any C1 hazards safe before leaving the property. Remedial work will be legally required.
• Code 2 (C2): Potentially dangerous. Remedial work will be legally required.
• Further Investigation (FI): Further investigation required without delay. Further investigation will be legally required (it is the landlord’s responsibility to ensure this happens).
• Code 3 (C3): Improvement recommended. Further remedial work is not required for the report to be deemed satisfactory. Remedial work is not legally required, however it will improve the safety of the installation if the improvements are implemented.

As well as the classification codes that relate to electrical installations, the report will include details of any required remedial work/further investigation, and a date that the next inspection is due by.

If remedial work or further investigation is required landlords must complete this work in 28 days (or less if specified in the report) and provide written confirmation that the work has been carried out to both their tenant and local authority.

If the remedial work is not undertaken and the local authority has reasonable grounds to believe that the landlord is breaching one (or more) of their duties in the Regulations then they will serve a remedial notice on the landlord. If the remedial work is still not undertaken then the local authority may arrange for remedial action to be taken, and can recover the costs of the remedial actions from the landlord.

Electrical Installation Condition Report.

If you are a landlord of domestic properties: Legally, at least every 5 years.

If you are a homeowner: The national standard for electric installations (BS7671) recommends having an EICR carried out at least every 10 years.

If you are a homeowner of a property with a pool: The national standard for electric installations (BS7671) recommends having an EICR carried out annually.

If you are an employer: It is recommended by the national standard for electric installations (BS7671) that employers have an EICR undertaken every 5 years.

Short answer: no, you shouldn’t.

The government’s guide on electrical safety for landlords, it clearly states landlords must “Ensure the electrical installations in their rented properties are inspected and tested by a qualified and competent person”. While here and in the Electrical Safety Standards 2020 it does not define exactly what qualifications or experience make for a “qualified and competent person”, however the guidance does provide suggestions to how landlords can potentially find a qualified and competent person:

• "Check if the inspector is a member of a competent person scheme; or
• Require the inspector to sign a checklist certifying their competence, including their experience, whether they have adequate insurance and hold a qualification covering the current version of the Wiring Regulations and the periodic inspection, testing and certification of electrical installations."

Essentially, it is not suitable for landlords to carry out their own EICRs, and they should always find a well experienced and insured electrician.

Here at Easy EPC, we have an expert team of electricians who have a wealth of experience along with all of the necessary insurances to carry out your EICR. Please feel free to ask more when getting your EICR quote.

The cost of your EICR can depend on the number of circuits the property has, whether it’s a commercial or domestic property, what the building is used for and a few other factors.

Request your EICR quote today.