England’s private rented sector had a major safety overhaul in 2020. The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 turned five-yearly electrical inspections from good practice into a legal duty for almost every landlord. This guide covers what you have to do, by when, what happens if you don’t, and how the rules differ in Wales and Scotland.
The rules came in two stages: new tenancies needed a valid Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) from 1 July 2020, and existing tenancies were caught from 1 April 2021. So in England today, letting a home without a current EICR almost always means breaking the law.
Prefer to watch? The short video above runs through what an EICR is and why it matters.
What were the rules before 2020?
Before April 2020, mandatory inspections only applied to HMOs (houses in multiple occupation). For an ordinary single let, a five-yearly EICR was recommended but not required by law. The 2020 Regulations changed five things:
- Inspections became mandatory for almost all private tenancies, not just HMOs.
- A fixed five-year cycle now applies to every let property.
- The EICR became the standard, replacing generic electrical “safety certificates”.
- Tenants must get a copy of the report within 28 days.
- Councils gained real enforcement powers, including fines.
Why were these inspections introduced?
The aim is consistent electrical safety across every rented home. Faulty wiring causes fires and electric shocks, and before 2020 the standard varied hugely from one rental to the next. The Regulations set a single benchmark so that every tenant lives somewhere that has actually been checked.
They followed a 2018 consultation by the Electrical Standards Working Group and a 2019 government response confirming five-yearly checks for all private landlords in England. Scotland had already gone first, bringing in similar rules back in 2015.
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When did the rules come into force?
The Regulations commenced on 1 April 2020 and applied in two stages:
- 1 July 2020 – required for all new tenancies, with a valid EICR in place before the tenant moves in.
- 1 April 2021 – extended to every existing tenancy.
If you let a property in England and don’t yet have a current EICR, you’re overdue and should arrange one now.
What do the rules mean for landlords?
As a private landlord in England, you must:
- Keep the property’s electrics safe throughout the tenancy.
- Have the installation inspected and tested by a qualified electrician at least every five years.
- Get a written EICR showing the result and the date of the next check.
- Give each tenant a copy within 28 days of the inspection.
- Send it to the council within 7 days if they request it.
Hold on to your reports – the next electrician will want to see the previous one. Refusing a tenant a copy on request also breaches the transparency rules under the Tenant Fees Act 2019.
Electrical safety rules in Wales and Scotland
The 2020 Regulations cover England only; the other nations have their own rules.
In Scotland, the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006 has required a five-yearly EICR – plus a Portable Appliance Test (PAT) – since 2015, and the checks must be done before a new tenancy starts. In Wales, the Renting Homes (Wales) Act made a five-yearly EICR a legal requirement from 1 December 2022, as part of keeping a home fit to live in.
A note for England: Section 21 “no-fault” evictions end on 1 May 2026 under the Renters’ Rights Act 2025. Electrical compliance matters just as much – it now feeds into the new possession rules and the repair duties under Awaab’s Law rather than into a Section 21 notice.
What does an EICR involve?
An EICR is a full check of your property’s fixed wiring – the sockets, switches, consumer unit and anything permanently connected. The electrician will:
- Look for hazards, both fire and shock risks.
- Check the workmanship, including DIY or sub-standard work that doesn’t meet BS 7671.
- Test the earthing and bonding are adequate for the load.
- Spot overloaded circuits.
The inspector must be qualified and competent – councils won’t accept a report from an unregistered contractor. If the property fails, the report is marked “unsatisfactory” and you have 28 days to put it right.
What happens if your electrics are unsafe?
An “unsatisfactory” EICR starts a clock. You must get the remedial or further-investigation work done by a qualified electrician within 28 days, or sooner if the report says so. Once it’s finished, get written confirmation that the installation now meets the standard, and pass that to your tenants and the council along with the original report.
Penalties for non-compliance
Ignoring these duties is costly. A council that finds a breach serves a remedial notice first; if you don’t comply, it can fine you up to £30,000 – and that’s per breach, so several properties can multiply the bill quickly. Beyond the fine, non-compliance leaves you exposed if a fault ever causes harm.
Worried you might be overdue? Book your EICR.
Which tenancies are exempt?
Most private tenancies are covered, but a few are excluded from the 2020 Regulations:
- Social housing let by a registered provider.
- Lodgers who share accommodation with the landlord or their family.
- Long leases of seven years or more.
- Student halls of residence.
- Care settings such as care homes, hospitals and hospices.
New builds and rewires
A new build should already have an Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC), and a full rewire will give you one too. The EIC is your proof of compliance for the first five years, so you won’t need a separate EICR until five years after it was issued. Keep it safe and give tenants a copy, as required under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985.
Can a tenant move in if remedial work is needed?
If an EICR is unsatisfactory you have 28 days to fix it – but it’s far better to clear the work before a new tenant moves in. Let someone into a property with known electrical defects and you’re liable for any injury or damage that follows. The simplest rule: book the inspection well before you market the property or hand over keys.
EICR rules across England, Wales & Scotland
All three nations require a five-yearly Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) by a competent person – but under different laws and on different timetables. Scotland was first, back in 2015, and also requires portable-appliance testing (PAT).
| Nation | EICR required | In force since | Governing law |
|---|---|---|---|
| England | Every 5 years | 2020 (new lets Jul 2020; all by Apr 2021) | Electrical Safety Standards in the PRS (England) Regulations 2020 |
| Wales | Every 5 years | 1 December 2022 | Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 (fitness for human habitation) |
| Scotland | Every 5 years, plus PAT | December 2015 | Housing (Scotland) Act 2006 (Repairing Standard) |
Practical electrical safety basics for landlords and tenants
Between formal inspections, a few simple checks help catch problems early. (For your gas duties, see our landlord gas safety guide.)
Know the age of your wiring
Ageing wiring is a leading cause of household electrical fires. Tell-tale signs of an old installation include cables coated in black rubber (phased out in the 1960s), lead or fabric-covered cables, a fuse box with a wooden back or cast-iron switches, and round-pin sockets or braided flexes. Any of these means an EICR – and likely a rewire – is overdue.
Fuses, circuit-breakers and RCDs
Modern consumer units use circuit-breakers (which you reset after finding the fault) rather than rewireable fuses. An RCD is a life-saving device that cuts the power in milliseconds when it detects a fault – every rental should have one protecting its socket circuits.
Plugs, cables and extension leads
Check plugs and cables for damage, scorch marks or taped-up repairs (there should be none). In a UK plug the brown wire is live, blue is neutral, and green-and-yellow is earth, with the cord clamp gripping the cable’s outer sheath. Don’t overload extension leads or daisy-chain adaptors – overloaded sockets are a common fire cause.
Electricity and water
Bathrooms are the highest-risk rooms: wet skin lowers the body’s resistance, so there are special rules for electrics near baths and showers, and outdoor or garden sockets need RCD protection.
Get tenants involved
Keeping the installation safe is the landlord’s job, but ask tenants to avoid overloading sockets and to report warning signs at once – burning smells, buzzing or crackling (arcing), fuses that blow repeatedly, or scorch marks around sockets.
Common EICR questions from landlords and tenants
Do I need a new EICR every time a tenant changes?
No. An EICR is valid for five years, and a change of tenant does not reset that. If your report is still in date, you simply give the new tenant a copy before they move in – you do not need a fresh inspection. Good practice is a quick visual check at changeover, and any known fault or tampering must be put right regardless of the certificate’s date: an “in-date” EICR never overrides your ongoing duty to keep the installation safe.
I’ve bought a property with tenants – does the existing EICR carry over?
Yes. Certificates pass to you with the property, and a valid EICR (even one in the previous owner’s name) remains valid until it expires – you do not need a new one immediately. Ask the seller or agent for a copy, and arrange a fresh EICR in your own name at the next renewal.
What do the C1, C2, C3 and FI codes mean?
C1, C2 or FI make the report “unsatisfactory” – the work must be done (normally within 28 days). A report with only C3 items is “satisfactory” and valid, though those improvements are still worth doing.
| Code | Meaning | Effect on the report |
|---|---|---|
| C1 | Danger present – risk of injury now | Unsatisfactory – fix immediately |
| C2 | Potentially dangerous – urgent | Unsatisfactory – fix urgently |
| FI | Further investigation needed | Unsatisfactory until resolved |
| C3 | Improvement recommended | Satisfactory – advisory only |
So a single C2 does make an EICR unsatisfactory – a “satisfactory” result issued with an unresolved C2 on it is wrong and should be queried.
Who can carry out an EICR?
A “qualified and competent person” – in practice an electrician with the City & Guilds 2391 inspection-and-testing qualification (or equivalent), ideally registered with a competent-person scheme such as NICEIC, NAPIT, ELECSA or STROMA. Scheme registration is not strictly mandatory in law, but government guidance expects membership or clearly demonstrable competence – and a landlord should not test their own property, as the inspection needs to be independent.
My landlord won’t give me the report, or won’t do the remedial works
Your landlord must give you a copy of the EICR within 28 days of the inspection, and complete any required works within 28 days (or sooner if the report says so). If they do not, contact your local council – its private-rented housing team or tenancy relations officer can step in, and the environmental health team must act on a serious hazard. Councils can serve a remedial notice, carry out the work themselves and recover the cost, and fine the landlord up to £30,000.
The tenant won’t let us in to do the EICR
You cannot force entry, but you must show you took all reasonable steps: serve written notice, try on several occasions, and keep records. See our guide to a landlord’s right to access for the full process – including how to apply to court for an access order if a tenant unreasonably refuses.
Do these rules cover lodgers, holiday lets and commercial property?
No. The 2020 Regulations apply to standard private tenancies. Excluded arrangements (under Schedule 1 of the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020) include lodgers who share accommodation with a resident landlord or their family, social housing, long leases of seven years or more, student halls, hostels and care settings. Holiday lets and commercial premises are not covered by these Regulations either, though separate electrical-safety duties still apply.
What is the primary law governing landlord electrical safety?
The primary legislation is The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020, which mandates checks every five years.
Is a PAT test mandatory for UK landlords?
While an EICR is mandatory for all, a Portable Appliance Test (PAT) is strongly recommended for any landlord-supplied appliances to ensure safety and limit liability.
How much can a landlord be fined for EICR non-compliance?
Local authorities in England have the power to fine landlords up to £30,000 for breaching their electrical safety duties.
Do I need an EICR if I have a valid Gas Safety (CP12)?
Yes. A Gas Safety certificate (CP12) only covers gas appliances; the EICR is a separate legal requirement specifically for the property’s fixed electrical installations.
How long does an EICR last?
Normally, an EICR is valid for five years. However, the inspecting engineer may recommend a shorter period if the installation is older or showing signs of wear.
