EICR requirements for landlords: how often, what the codes mean, and the 28-day rule

An EICR has to be renewed at least every five years, or sooner if the report itself sets a shorter interval, for every privately rented home in England. An Electrical Installation Condition Report is an inspection and test of the fixed wiring, consumer unit, sockets and light fittings by a qualified and competent person. It has applied to new private tenancies since 1 July 2020 and to existing ones since 1 April 2021, under the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020, extended to the social rented sector by 2025 amendment regulations. The government guidance for landlords sets out the rules in full and is the source for everything below.

How long does an EICR last?

Up to five years from the date of the inspection, and less if the inspector writes an earlier date for the next inspection on the report. For a rented home the earlier date is the one that counts. A report with any C1, C2 or FI observation is unsatisfactory, so it does not do its job until the remedial work is done and confirmed in writing (the 28-day rule below). You can check an individual date with the certificate expiry checker.

How long does an EICR take?

Usually a few hours for a flat or an ordinary house. NICEIC, the electrical certification body, puts it at anything from a few hours for a small domestic property to a full day or more for large premises, depending on the size and complexity of the installation. Circuits have to be switched off while they are tested, so agree the visit with the tenant in advance and ask the electrician for an estimate once they know the number of circuits and consumer units.

How often: five years, or the date on the report

Five years is the maximum interval. The inspector can set a shorter one, and if they do, that date is the one that counts, so the next inspection date to track is the one written on the report, never “five years from now” by default. A new tenancy does not reset the clock: a report that is still in date can be given to a new tenant. Nor does a change of landlord or agent; the report belongs to the installation.

What the codes mean

• C1: danger present, risk of injury. The inspector should make it safe or isolate it there and then, and the report is unsatisfactory.
• C2: potentially dangerous. Urgent remedial work; the report is unsatisfactory.
• FI: further investigation required without delay. Treat it as work to schedule, not a note to file; the report is unsatisfactory until the investigation is done.
• C3: improvement recommended. The report can still be satisfactory with C3 items. They are worth doing; they are not required by the regulations.

The 28-day rule

If the report records a C1, C2 or FI, the landlord must have the remedial work or the investigation completed within 28 days, or within any shorter period the report specifies, and must obtain written confirmation from a qualified person that the work has been done and the installation now meets the standard, or that further work is needed. The 28 days start on the date of the inspection. Within 28 days of completing the work, send that confirmation, with a copy of the report that called for it, to the tenant and to the local council. The council copy is required whether or not the council has asked for anything. Keep it with the report: an unsatisfactory EICR without its remedial confirmation reads as an open breach.

Who must receive copies, and when

• Existing tenants: within 28 days of the inspection.
• New tenants: before they occupy the property.
• Prospective tenants: within 28 days of asking for it.
• The local authority: within 7 days of asking for it.
• After remedial or investigative work: the tenant and the local authority, within 28 days of completing it.
• The landlord: keep a copy until the next inspection is due, or done if that is later, and give it to the next inspector.

What to keep on record for every property

• Inspection date and the next inspection date the report gives.
• The report itself, including the observation codes, not just a summary line.
• Who received a copy and when, against each of the deadlines above.
• Remedial work: what was required, who did it, the date it was completed, and the written confirmation.

The penalty

A local council can impose a financial penalty of up to £40,000 for a breach of the regulations, and can arrange the remedial work itself and recover the cost. That is the largest fixed figure attached to any single certificate, and it sits alongside the others on the landlord penalties page. A landlord whose tenant will not allow access is not treated as in breach solely for not taking the tenant to court, provided they can show the reasonable steps they took, so keep the record of attempts exactly as you would for a gas safety check.

Scotland and Wales

The rules above are England’s. Wales has its own requirement under the Renting Homes fitness for human habitation rules: a valid electrical condition report for each occupation, a test at least every five years or sooner if the report says so, and a copy to the contract-holder within 14 days of the occupation date. Without one the home is treated as unfit for human habitation. In Scotland, the Repairing Standard guidance expects an EICR and a separate report on portable appliances at least every five years.

A simple tracking routine

1. Record the next inspection date from the report, never “five years from now” by default.
2. Start the renewal 90 days before that date: finding an electrician and agreeing access takes longer than the test.
3. File the new report against the property and send tenant copies the same day, noting the date sent.
4. Log any C1, C2 or FI as a task due within 28 days of the inspection, or by the report’s shorter deadline.
5. Attach the completion confirmation when it arrives, and send it with the report to the tenant and the council.

In Verixad an EICR is a document on the property with its expiry date, the remedial work is a task with a due date, and both show up on the dashboard and the compliance timeline before they become a problem. See documents and compliance and the full certificate checklist.