The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 kicked in for new tenancies on 1 July 2020 and for existing tenancies on 1 April 2021. Since then, every rented property in England needs an EICR at least every five years, or shorter if the report says so.
Five-year cycle in practice
A satisfactory EICR is valid for five years from the date of inspection. That is the default. The report can specify shorter - three years is common on older installations, one year on a rental with any C3 items. If the report goes unsatisfactory (any C1 or C2 code), the property is not compliant until the remedial work is done and a certificate of completion issued.
Timing around tenancy changeovers
The cleanest pattern is to book the EICR to expire during a void period, not mid-tenancy. If your existing tenant is due to leave in October, book the EICR for late September the year the five-year runs out. Any C2 remedials get done in the void; the new tenant moves in with a fresh certificate.
C1 / C2 / C3 in plain English
- C1 - Danger present. Immediate action required. The property cannot be tenanted with a C1 outstanding. Common example: a live conductor accessible without tools.
- C2 - Potentially dangerous. Fix required within 28 days. Common example: missing earth on a lighting circuit that a subsequent fault could make live.
- C3 - Improvement recommended. Not a fail. You do not have to fix a C3 to be compliant, but doing so upgrades the installation. Common example: no SPD on a rural supply.
- FI - Further investigation. Something visible that we cannot conclude on from the test. A recall visit with more time and possibly some destructive work. Common on cottage installations.
Cost to fix
Most Wingham landlord EICRs come back satisfactory or with one or two C3 items. Where an unsatisfactory verdict lands, the typical remedial spend is £150 to £400 for isolated C2s (missing earths, damaged sockets, incorrect polarity), and rewire territory for widespread issues. We include a fixed remedial quote with every unsatisfactory report so you know the number the same day.
Landlord obligations
- Copy to the tenant within 28 days of the inspection.
- Copy to any new tenant before they move in.
- Copy to Dover District Council on request (they can ask).
- Copy to any prospective tenant within 28 days of a request.
- Remedial work done within 28 days of the report (or shorter if specified).
Holiday lets
The 2020 Regs technically do not cover self-catering holiday accommodation, but insurance policies and platform T&Cs increasingly require an EICR. Best practice is the same five-year cycle, with annual PAT for portable appliances.