Below are are FAQ’s related to the Electrical Inspection Condition Report (EICR) which is an inspection report on a property’s safety relating to its fixed wiring.
What is an EICR
An EICR is a report that records the condition of the electrical installation and fitting and checks it is safe. It must be conducted by a qualified electrician.
Why do I need one.
Landlords have always had duty to ensure their properties are safe but there was never any legislative requirement. Legislation has been introduced on the 1st July that any new Tenancy, renewal of a Tenancy or any tenancy that falls into a Statutory Periodic Tenancy must have a valid EICR. For existing periodic tenancies, Landlords have until the 1st April 2021 to have a report in place. The inspections then have to be carried out every five years.
What do I have to do.
Provide any new tenants with a copy of the EICR before they move into the property. Provide a new EICR to the tenants within 28 days of completion.
What is the cost
The cost of the inspection will be determined by the number of circuit rings in the house. Most electricians would have a standard pricing based on the average amount of circuits in a certain bedrooms house. If your house is particularly large it may be worth getting a more specific quote. The inspection should cost in the region of £200 – £400 but any remedial works will be quoted on top of this.
An EICR is conducted by a qualified electrician
What happens if my EICR Fails
If any issues are found when the EICR is completed they must be further investigated or remedied within 28 days by a qualified electrician. The report should be reissued or a written confirmation that the works have been carried out should be kept with the report.
I’ve heard that a lot of EICRs being completed are failing and remedial works having to be carried out.
Yes, the report must now comply with the 18th edition of the wiring regulations BS7671:2018. One of the big changes within this edition is that the lighting circuit now has to have RCD protection whereas the previous edition didn’t. This will mean the protection will have to be added to your existing fuse board or you may require a new fuse board if this is not possible. As with any regulation they are constantly updated and something that was compliant previously may now not be.
I already have an EICR is it valid.
Yes, the guidance is that an existing EICR will be valid until the expiry of that report. The new one will have to comply with the latest edition of the regulations.
Does it include appliance testing.
No, a standard EICR report will not include testing of any freestanding appliance in the home. This was not included within the legislation but as a Landlord you have a duty to ensure that any appliance provided to the tenants is in safe and working order.
What happens if I don’t have it done.
The local authority is responsible for the enforcement of this legislation. They have the power to issues fines of up to £30,000 for non compliance.
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