The landlord's electrical checklist.

The deadlines

A new build or a fully rewired property comes with an Electrical Installation Certificate. That stands in for the report for five years from the date it was issued. You do not need a fresh inspection at every change of tenant if the current report is in date and has no outstanding work, though a visual check between tenancies is sensible.

What the codes on the report mean

Any C1, C2 or FI makes the report Unsatisfactory, and the 28 days start from the inspection. A report with only C3s is Satisfactory.

Before the inspection

• The last EICR, or the Electrical Installation Certificate if the property is a new build or has been fully rewired
• Certificates for any electrical work done since: a new board, an added circuit, an EV charger, solar panels
• Written notice to the tenant, with the date and a realistic time window. The power is off for parts of the test
• Access to every room, the loft, any outbuilding or garage with power, and the meter cupboard
• The fuse board clear of stored boxes, coats and shoe racks
• Anything the tenant has reported: tripping, warm sockets, flickering lights, a burning smell
• For social landlords: a list of the electrical equipment you supply under the tenancy

After the report arrives

• Read the summary page first: it says Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory
• Check the date of the next inspection. It is usually five years, but the inspector can set it sooner
• Send the tenant their copy within 28 days, and keep proof that you sent it
• If it is Unsatisfactory, get the remedial work quoted in writing and booked inside the 28 days
• Once the work is done, send the tenant and the council the written confirmation within 28 days
• File the report where you will find it in five years, and put the renewal date in a diary that someone actually checks

Who is allowed to do the inspection

The regulations say a qualified person: someone competent to carry out the inspection and testing, and any remedial work, to the current wiring regulations (BS 7671). In practice, look for registration with a government-approved scheme such as NAPIT or NICEIC, and ask who will actually attend.

From 1 October 2026 the bar rises. Anyone carrying out periodic inspection and testing under one of those schemes must hold the Level 3 award in periodic inspection and testing, show at least two years of experience in it, and keep up their training. Ask any provider, including us, what the person coming to your property holds.

If the tenant will not give access

You are not in breach if you can show you took all reasonable steps. Keep a copy of every message, letter and call note where you tried to arrange a visit, and keep the previous report to hand. You are not required to go to court to get in.

If the work cannot be done in 28 days

Sometimes it cannot: the job is specialist, or it waits on someone else, such as the energy supplier fitting an isolator before a fuse board can be changed. The same defence applies. Keep a clear record of what was arranged and when, and send the confirmation on once the work is complete.

Social landlords

The rules apply to social tenancies granted after 1 December 2025. For tenancies granted before that, the first inspection and test must be done before 1 November 2026. Electrical equipment you supply under the tenancy, such as a cooker or a fridge, also has to be checked by a qualified person at least every five years.

What it costs

A landlord EICR with us starts from £245 ex VAT for a property with up to 12 circuits. Every circuit is tested, not sampled, the report is in plain English, and the certificate normally follows within 48 hours. Remedial work is always a separate written quote that you are free to take elsewhere. See how we work with landlords and agents, or get a starting price.

Source: Electrical safety standards in the private and social rented sectors: guidance, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. This page summarises it and is not legal advice. TDR Electrical Ltd, NAPIT registered, no. 74093. 01732 655003.