EICR Certificate London

What does an EICR check in a London property?

An Electrical Installation Condition Report assesses the fixed wiring and everything connected to it: the consumer unit, earthing, cables, sockets, switches, light fittings and hard-wired appliances. It does not cover plug-in items such as kettles and lamps, which are dealt with separately by PAT testing.

The visit combines a visual inspection with instrument testing. With circuits isolated, our electrician confirms the continuity of protective conductors and measures insulation resistance to find damaged or deteriorating cables. With the power restored, live tests measure earth fault loop impedance, confirm polarity and check that each RCD trips within the required time. Electrical inspections are carried out by NICEIC / NAPIT registered electricians, qualified to BS 7671.

We inspect against the current IET Wiring Regulations. BS 7671:2018+A4:2026 was published on 15 April 2026, and the previous version is withdrawn in mid-October 2026. An older installation does not fail simply because the rules have moved on: the inspector codes what is actually dangerous or in need of improvement.

How often do landlords need an EICR?

Private landlords in England must have the installation inspected and tested at least every 5 years, or sooner if the last report recommends a shorter interval. The duty comes from the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 (SI 2020/312), which applied to new tenancies from 1 July 2020 and to all existing tenancies from 1 April 2021.

These intervals come from IET Guidance Note 3. Booking a fresh inspection between tenancies is a sensible habit: you can hand the incoming tenant a current report on day one and fix any problems while the property is empty. Business premises follow a different framework, explained on our commercial EICR page.

What must a landlord do once the report is issued?

You must share the report, keep it, and fix any defects within fixed deadlines. Under SI 2020/312 a landlord must:

• give a copy to existing tenants within 28 days of the inspection;
• give a copy to a new tenant before they move in;
• give a copy to a prospective tenant within 28 days of their request;
• send a copy to the local authority within 7 days of a request;
• keep a copy for the electrician carrying out the next inspection;
• complete any remedial work or further investigation within 28 days, or sooner if the report says so, then give written confirmation to tenants and the local authority within 28 days of completion.

Councils can impose financial penalties of up to £30,000 per breach. The wording is set out in the 2020 regulations and in the government’s guidance for landlords, tenants and local authorities.

Your EICR will also be needed for the Private Rented Sector Database created by the Renters’ Rights Act 2025. Every landlord must register each rented property and provide its EICR, gas safety record and EPC. Registration opens for London on 15 July 2027, the London deadline is 14 October 2027, and the annual fee is £65 per property. HMO landlords should also read their borough’s licence conditions, which commonly require a satisfactory EICR.

What do the codes C1, C2, C3 and FI mean?

Each observation is coded by severity. Any C1, C2 or FI makes the overall report unsatisfactory, while C3 observations on their own do not.

Where possible, our electrician makes a C1 safe before leaving, usually by isolating the circuit, and explains the repair needed. Our guide to EICR codes explained shows how inspectors decide between codes.

What problems do we find in London properties?

Each type of London home tends to produce its own pattern of observations. These are the ones our electricians come across most.

• Victorian and Edwardian conversions. Houses split into flats often have meters and consumer units in a shared hallway or under the stairs, circuits extended during loft and kitchen projects, and occasionally a light or socket in one flat fed from another. We trace these carefully, because a circuit nobody can isolate is a circuit nobody can work on safely.
• Mansion blocks and older purpose-built flats. Older consumer units with limited RCD protection are common, as is bonding that was never upgraded when the plumbing changed. The supply cables in the common parts belong to the freeholder, so the report records clearly where the flat’s installation begins.
• HMOs. Several consumer units, a separate landlord’s supply for hallway lighting and the fire alarm, and bedrooms running on adaptors and extension leads. Every board is tested, and we note where extra sockets would cut the reliance on trailing leads.
• New-build flats. Modern installations usually test well, but we still find consumer units boxed into cupboards with poor access, missing labels, and integrated kitchen appliances with no accessible way to isolate them.

What happens if your EICR is unsatisfactory?

You have 28 days, or less if the report specifies, to complete the remedial work or further investigation. You do not normally need a brand new EICR afterwards: the original report plus written confirmation of the completed work is the evidence the regulations ask for.

Every unsatisfactory report we issue comes with an itemised list of coded observations and a fixed price to put them right. Typical remedials are replacing damaged accessories, installing main protective bonding, adding RCD protection or, where the board itself is the problem, a consumer unit replacement. When the work is finished you receive a Minor Electrical Installation Works Certificate or an Electrical Installation Certificate, depending on the job, ready to send to your tenants and the council.

You can use any competent electrician for the remedials. What matters is that the work is completed within the deadline and that you can prove it.

How should you prepare for the inspection?

Good preparation keeps the visit short and avoids ‘limitations’ on the report, which is where the electrician records parts of the installation they could not reach.

• Give tenants written notice in good time and warn them the power will be off in stages.
• Clear access to the consumer unit, meter cupboard, loft hatch and any cupboards hiding fused spurs or immersion heaters.
• For flats, arrange keys or codes for communal meter cupboards and tell us about parking or visitor permits.
• Ask tenants to shut down computers and keep fridge and freezer doors closed while circuits are off.
• Have the previous EICR ready. It shows earlier limitations and recommendations, and you are required to keep it for the next inspector anyway.

Domestic EICRs start at £79 inc. VAT for a studio with one consumer unit. If you also need a gas safety record, our landlord gas and electrical bundle starts from £154. Our engineers have been certifying London properties since 2018, across all 32 boroughs and the City of London.