Key takeaway
At a glance
Landlords must have a valid EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report) every 5 years, or at every change of tenancy if the existing report is older than 5 years. The report must be given to tenants before they move in. Any unsatisfactory result requires remedial work within 28 days. Fines of up to £30,000 apply for non-compliance.
Since 1 April 2021, all private landlords in England have been legally required to have the electrical installations in their rental properties inspected and tested by a qualified electrician at least every five years. The resulting report is called an Electrical Installation Condition Report, or EICR.
Unlike a <a href='/blog/landlord-gas-safety-certificate-guide' class='text-plum underline hover:text-plum-light'>gas safety certificate</a>, an EICR is not an annual check. But the five-year window, the requirement to share it with tenants, and the strict remediation deadline when a property fails make it one of the most important compliance documents a landlord needs to manage.
What is an EICR?
What gets inspected
An EICR is a formal inspection and test of all fixed electrical installations in a property. Fixed installations means the wiring in the walls and ceilings, the consumer unit (fuse box), earthing and bonding conductors, sockets, light fittings, switches, and any permanently wired appliances like electric showers or cookers.
The inspection does not cover portable appliances (kettles, televisions, lamps) — those are covered by a separate PAT test, which is not a legal requirement for landlords but is good practice in furnished rentals and HMOs.
- Visual inspection of the consumer unit, wiring, sockets and switches
- Dead testing: insulation resistance, continuity, and polarity
- Live testing: earth fault loop impedance and RCD operation
- Check for overloading or deterioration in older wiring
- Verification that the installation meets the current 18th Edition Wiring Regulations (BS 7671)
Legal basis
The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 made EICR a legal requirement for all private landlords. The regulations require inspection by a qualified person and remedial work on any C1 or C2 coded defects within 28 days of the report date.
How much does an EICR cost for landlords?
Typical EICR costs for landlords in Lincolnshire — June 2026
| Property size | Typical EICR cost |
|---|---|
| Studio or 1-bed flat | £150 - £180 |
| 2-bed house or flat | £170 - £220 |
| 3-bed house | £200 - £260 |
| 4-bed house | £230 - £300 |
| HMO (per unit) | £250 - £400+ |
| Portfolio rate (3+ properties, same electrician) | £130 - £170 per property |
EICR costs vary based on the age of the wiring, the size of the property, the number of circuits, and whether any remedial work is needed. Properties with older fuse boxes (pre-RCD consumer units) take longer to test and cost more. If remedial work is required, this is quoted separately and charged on top of the inspection fee.
Portfolio savings
Landlords with three or more properties often negotiate a reduced per-property rate by scheduling all EICRs with the same NICEIC-registered electrician in a block. Staggering all your EICRs to expire in the same month each year makes this much easier to organise.
How often does a landlord need an EICR?
An EICR is required at least every five years. If the report specifies a shorter recommended interval (for example, 'next inspection in 3 years' for older wiring), that shorter interval becomes the legal requirement rather than the five-year default.
You must also commission a new EICR at the start of a new tenancy if the existing EICR is more than five years old — even if no five-year interval has been formally breached. An EICR dated 2019 that was valid throughout a long tenancy becomes immediately invalid when that tenancy ends and a new one begins.
Key EICR duties
When You Must Act
- 01
Before let
Provide to tenant
A copy of the EICR must be given to new tenants before they move in, and to existing tenants within 28 days of the inspection.
- 02
Every 5 years
Renew the report
Commission a new inspection every five years, or sooner if the previous report specifies a shorter interval.
- 03
28 days
Remediation deadline
Any C1 (danger present) or C2 (potentially dangerous) code requires remedial work by a qualified electrician within 28 days.
- 04
On request
Provide to council
Local authorities can request a copy of the EICR. You must provide it within 7 days.
What do EICR codes mean — and what happens if you fail?
The EICR result is given as an overall classification of 'Satisfactory' or 'Unsatisfactory'. Within the report, individual observations are coded C1 to C4 and FI:
EICR observation codes explained
| Code | Meaning | Action required |
|---|---|---|
| C1 | Danger present — risk of injury | Immediate action required |
| C2 | Potentially dangerous | Urgent remedial work required |
| C3 | Improvement recommended | No legal requirement, but recommended |
| FI | Further investigation required | Investigate before deciding action |
| C4 | Limitation of inspection | Inspector could not fully assess this element |
Any C1 or C2 code makes the overall result 'Unsatisfactory'. You are then legally required to have the remedial work completed and evidenced by a qualified electrician within 28 days of the inspection date. You must then provide the tenant with written confirmation that the work has been completed.
Penalties for non-compliance
Local authorities can issue fines of up to £30,000 for failing to meet EICR requirements. They can also arrange for remedial work to be done and recover the cost from the landlord. A failure to remediate a C1 code can also amount to a criminal offence under health and safety legislation.
What if my property needs remedial electrical work?
If your EICR comes back unsatisfactory, the remedial work must be carried out by a qualified electrician and documented with a completion certificate. Common remedial items include replacing an outdated consumer unit (fuse box), adding RCD protection to circuits that lack it, correcting bonding on metalwork in kitchens and bathrooms, fixing damaged sockets or switches, and repairing or replacing deteriorated wiring.
Replacing a consumer unit typically costs £400 to £700 for most standard residential properties. This is the most common remedial item flagged on older rental properties. Adding RCD protection to specific circuits is cheaper, usually £100 to £300 depending on the number of circuits affected.
EICR and the Landlord Group Membership
LWR Group does not carry out electrical inspections — those must be done by a NICEIC or NAPIT-registered electrician. However, our Landlord Group Membership includes a compliance tracker that logs your EICR renewal date alongside your gas safety certificate (CP12) and EPC, and flags upcoming renewals before they expire.
Members also get exclusive member rates on all reactive and remedial maintenance works, including any non-electrical remedial items that come out of an EICR, such as damp, decoration, fixings and fire door adjustments, carried out by our in-house team. And with a dedicated tenant maintenance portal, tenants log issues directly with us rather than calling you, which reduces the out-of-hours interruptions that tend to come with an older property needing attention.
LWR Group
Property Services · Lincoln & Lincolnshire
