landlord

EICR for landlords in England: when you need one, how often and what happens after the report

EICR for landlords in England: the 5-year rule, the first test, who gets the report and when, the 28-day deadline for remedial work and the £30,000 fine.

4 min read
Last reviewed 4 November 2026
By Your Property Check team

Part 1 of 10

Do landlords need an EICR?

General information, not advice. In England, yes for a private landlord letting on a specified tenancy. The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020, regulation 3, require the landlord to ensure the electrical safety standards are met while the premises are occupied, and to ensure every electrical installation is inspected and tested at regular intervals by a qualified person. The inspection produces the report, which people usually call an EICR. We read the regulations and the GOV.UK guidance on 4 November 2026. Wales and Scotland have their own rules, which this page does not cover.

Part 2 of 10

How often

The regulations say "regular intervals" means no more than 5 years apart, or the shorter interval stated in the most recent report if it specifies one. GOV.UK guidance says electrics must be checked at least every 5 years by a properly qualified person. The first inspection and test must happen before a new tenancy starts, or by 1 April 2021 for a tenancy that already existed when the rules began.

Part 3 of 10

What the landlord must do with the report

Step	Rule	Deadline
Get a report	A report giving the results and the date of the next inspection and test	After each inspection
Give it to existing tenants	A copy to each existing tenant	Within 28 days of the inspection and test
Give it to the council	A copy to the local housing authority	Within 7 days of its written request
New tenants	The latest report before they move in	Before they move in
Prospective tenants	A copy on written request	Within 28 days of the request
Keep it	A copy until the next test is due, then give it to the next tester	Until the next test

A prospective tenant, in the regulations, is someone who asks for information to decide whether to rent, asks to view the premises for that purpose, or makes an offer to rent.

Part 4 of 10

A simple order of work

Using only the steps in the regulations, a landlord can plan the sequence like this:

Arrange the inspection and test with a qualified person before the tenancy starts.
Obtain the report with the results and the next inspection date.
Send a copy to each existing tenant within 28 days, and give the latest report to any new tenant before they move in.
Start any required remedial or investigative work straight away, because the 28 days run from the inspection date.
Keep the report and the written confirmation until the next test, and pass them to the next tester.

Part 5 of 10

If the report finds problems

If the report shows the landlord is, or may be, in breach of the electrical safety standards and requires further investigative or remedial work, the landlord must ensure a qualified person does it within 28 days of the inspection, or within the shorter period in the report if there is one.

After the work, the landlord must obtain written confirmation from a qualified person that the standards are met or that further work is needed. That confirmation, with the report, goes to existing tenants and the local housing authority within 28 days of completion. If more work is found, the same steps repeat.

Part 6 of 10

What about the codes?

Reports usually grade faults with short codes. The sources we read do not define those codes, so we do not explain them here. The regulations work on what the report says: if it requires investigative or remedial work, the 28-day clock applies. Ask your electrician to explain each item in writing.

Part 7 of 10

Penalties

Regulation 11 lets a local housing authority impose a financial penalty if it is satisfied, beyond reasonable doubt, that a private landlord has breached a duty under regulation 3. The amount is for the authority to decide but must not exceed £30,000. More than one penalty can be imposed for a continuing failure.

Part 8 of 10

Who pays for repairs?

The duties in regulation 3 sit with the landlord: the landlord must ensure the inspection and the remedial work happen. The regulations do not set out a cost split, and we have not read a source that does, so we do not state one. Check your tenancy agreement and take advice if there is a dispute.

Our take

Diarise the dates, because the clock starts at inspection

The paperwork is easy once you have the report. The risk is the dates: a copy to tenants within 28 days of the inspection, remedial work within 28 days if the report requires it, and the next test no more than 5 years on. The common mistake is to file the report and forget the next date, when a council can fine up to £30,000.

Landlord CertCheck from Your Property Check tracks certificate expiries for Gas, EICR, EPC, PAT and fire, so the next date is not left to memory. Your first property is free, then it is £49.99 a year. See the landlord compliance tracker.

Track certificates

Our opinion, drawn from the facts on this page: not advice and not a forecast. We earn from OfferCheck reports and from introducing sellers to cash buyers, so weigh it with that in mind (see our disclosure). We are not authorised or regulated by the FCA.

Questions, answered

Frequently asked questions

Does a landlord need an EICR?

In England, a private landlord letting on a specified tenancy must ensure every electrical installation is inspected and tested by a qualified person at regular intervals, under regulation 3 of the 2020 regulations.

How often does a landlord need an EICR?

At intervals of no more than 5 years, or sooner if the most recent report sets a shorter interval. The first is due before a new tenancy starts.

Who gets a copy of the EICR?

Existing tenants within 28 days of the test, new tenants before they move in, the local council within 7 days of a written request, and prospective tenants within 28 days of a written request.

How long do I have to fix problems in an EICR?

If the report requires remedial or further investigative work, it must be done within 28 days of the inspection, or sooner if the report gives a shorter period.

What is the fine for not having an EICR?

A local housing authority can impose a financial penalty of up to £30,000 if satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that a landlord breached the duty, and can impose more than one for a continuing failure.

Where this comes from

Sources

Last reviewed 4 November 2026 by the Your Property Check team. This page is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. For your own situation, speak to a conveyancing solicitor or another qualified professional.