Landlords Legal Responsibilities
As a landlord, it is your legal responsibility to keep your rental property safe and ensure regular safety checks are carried out. The landlord must obtain an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) which details whether the property’s electrical installation is safe or outlines the remedial works required to bring it up to Electrical Safety Standards.
The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 require all landlords to ensure the electrical installation in their property is inspected and tested by a qualified and competent individual at least every 5 yearsor sooner if that was specified in the last report
The landlord must obtain a copy of the EICR report to supply to the tenant and, if requested, the local authority. If the EICR report indicates that further remedial or investigation works are required to ensure the safety of the property, the landlord must carry these out within 28 days.
Private rental properties should not be rented without an in date EICR report in place.
LANDLORDS OF PRIVATELY RENTED ACCOMMODATION MUST:
- Ensure National Standards for Electrical Safety are met. These are set out in the 18th edition of the ‘Wiring Regulations’, which are published as British Standard 7671.
- Ensure the electrical installations in their rented properties are inspected and tested by a qualified and competent person at an interval of at least every 5 years.
- Obtain a report from the person conducting the inspection and test which gives the results and sets a date for the next inspection and test.
- Supply a copy of this report to the existing tenant within 28 days of the inspection and test.
- Supply a copy of this report to a new tenant before they occupy the premises.
- Supply a copy of this report to any prospective tenant within 28 days of receiving a request for the report.
- Supply the local authority with a copy of this report within 7 days of receiving a request for a copy.
- Retain a copy of the report to give to the inspector and tester who will undertake the next inspection and test.
- Where the report shows that remedial or further investigative work is necessary, complete this work within 28 days or any shorter period if specified as necessary in the report.
- Supply written confirmation of the completion of the remedial works from the electrician to the tenant and the local authority within 28 days of completion of the works.
WHAT IS AN EICR?
An Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) is a thorough test of your property’s electrical installation involving both a range of visual checks and physical testing.
The test will identify any damage, defect or deterioration in the electrical installation that needs to be remedied. The test can reveal the following issues:
- Overloading or overheating of circuits
- Potential risks of electric shock or fire
- Defective electrical work
- Insufficient earthing
- Outdated or damaged wiring
- Old and dangerous fuse boards
It will also involve a test of the fuse board and ensure you have a Residual Current Device (RCD) that operates efficiently to prevent harm.
Once your test has been competed, we will provide a EICR Report. The report will outline any damage, defects, deterioration or dangerous parts of the electrical system.
EICR REPORT CODES
Any faults found during the inspection will be graded by their severity when listed in the report.
C1, C2 and F1 codes must be resolved within 28 days. Once any necessary remedial work has been carried out, we will reissue you with a satisfactory report.
There are 4 codes as follows:
C1
Danger is present, there is a risk of electrical shock. Immediate action is require
C2
Potentially dangerous, remedial action is urgent and required to make property safe.
C3
Not immediately dangerous, but improvement recommended.
FI
Further investigation required.
Anything classified as FI (further investigation required) should be looked into as soon as practically possible. Further investigation could reveal a dangerous or potentially dangerous condition.
If the EICR recommends work to make your home safe, Goodwin Electrical will give you a free quote for getting this done to achieve a Satisfactory EICR report / Electrical Installation Certificate.
For further information on Electrical Installation Condition Reports (EICR), Go to our EICR page