A Landlord's Five-Year EICR Duty, Without the Jargon
What the regulations require, what the deadlines are, and the two mistakes agents make most.
Private landlords in England have had a five-yearly electrical safety duty since 2020. The rules themselves are short. The administration is where people come unstuck.
The Core Requirement
A satisfactory EICR, renewed at least every five years or sooner if the report specifies. A copy to the existing tenant within 28 days of the inspection, and to any new tenant before they move in.
Remedials Have Their Own Clock
Where a report records C1, C2 or FI, the work must be completed within 28 days, or sooner if the report says so. Written confirmation of completion then goes to the tenant and, on request, to the local authority.
Mistake One: Treating C3 as Actionable
We regularly see agents commissioning thousands of pounds of work off the back of C3 codes alone. C3 is an improvement recommendation. Acting on it is a choice, not a duty.
Mistake Two: Losing the Paperwork
The duty includes being able to produce the report on request. A certificate that exists only in a contractor’s filing system is a certificate you do not have. Ours are lodged with the scheme and emailed the same day, precisely so this cannot happen.
What It Does Not Cover
An EICR covers the fixed installation, not appliances. Portable appliance testing is separate, and while not itself a legal requirement, it is the usual way furnished landlords evidence that they have taken reasonable steps.