Rules and regulations state that every rented property must have an Electrical Installation Condition Report in place in order to rent out the property, legally. This certificate represents the safety of all electrical circuits including all plugs, light switches and light fittings within the property. 

Welcome to Connect UK’s ‘Landlord Academy’ – here to answer all your property questions.

A EICR or an Electrical Installation Condition Report, as its more commonly known, is a legal requirement when renting out any property in the UK. This certificate is a document which lasts 5 years and requires renewing.

A registered and certified electrical engineer must carry out the check and produce a certificate for the works. This certificate will outline the condition of an existing electrical installation, to identify (in order of priority) any deficiencies against the national safety standard for electrical installations.

This check will only apply to the ‘fixed’ electrical parts of the property, like the wiring, the plug sockets, the light fittings and the consumer unit (or fuse box as it is known.) This will also include permanently connected equipment such as showers and extractors.

If remedial work is required this will be reported in the form of three codes:

Code 1 – (C1)

Danger present. Risk of injury. The electrical inspector may make any C1 hazards safe before leaving the property.

Code 2 – (C2)

Potentially dangerous. Further investigation required without delay.

Code 3 – (C3)

Improvement recommended. Further remedial work is not required for the report to be deemed satisfactory.

Prices for an EICR will vary depending on the size of the property and the number of circuits within the household.

Local authorities may impose a financial penalty of up to £30,000 on landlords who are in breach of their duties such as non-compliance.

Join the Landlord Academy to receive exclusive ‘How To’ videos directly to your inbox.
Subscribe today – it’s free!