Electrical safety for landlords: EICR, PAT and the rules

Landlords in England must have the electrical installation in every rented home inspected and tested by a qualified person at least every five years, and must give tenants and, on request, the council a copy of the report. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own versions of the same five-year rule. This page is the starting point for all of it.

Who has to have an EICR?

The duty falls on the landlord whenever a tenant has the right to occupy a property as their only or main residence and pays rent. That covers single lets, flats, houses in multiple occupation and licences to occupy. The 2025 amendments extended the same regulations to social landlords in England from 1 November 2025, and the government’s guidance now covers private and social rented housing together.

The regulations do not apply to every arrangement. The government guidance lists the exclusions: shared accommodation with the landlord or the landlord’s family, long leases (including shared ownership), student halls of residence, hostels and refuges, care homes, hospitals and hospices, other healthcare accommodation, and mobile homes, caravans and boats. Communal areas of a building are outside the regulations too, although councils can act on unsafe communal wiring under other housing law.

The first inspection came due before a new tenancy started or, for existing tenancies, by 1 April 2021. The question today is not whether you need one, but when your current one runs out. Our guide to how long an EICR lasts covers expiry dates, new tenancies and what triggers a fresh inspection. The renewal calendar keeps the date in view.

What does an EICR actually cover?

An EICR is a report, not a certificate. It records the condition of the fixed electrical installation at the time of the inspection: the consumer unit, wiring, sockets, switches, light fittings, earthing and bonding, and permanently connected equipment such as showers. It tests the installation against BS 7671, the Wiring Regulations, and sets out its findings as coded observations. It does not test your tenant’s appliances, or the fridge and kettle you supplied; that is a separate question, covered below under PAT testing.

The electrician must record the extent of the inspection and any limitations, and give a clear overall verdict of satisfactory or unsatisfactory, plus the date of the next inspection. Electrical Safety First’s Best Practice Guide 4 sets out the standard that electricians are expected to follow, and our guide to the report’s grading system, EICR codes C1, C2, C3 and FI, explains each code.

What happens after an unsatisfactory report?

If the report shows that further investigative or remedial work is required, a qualified person must complete it within 28 days of the inspection, or sooner if the report says. C1 (danger present), C2 (potentially dangerous) and FI (further investigation) items need action; C3 (improvement recommended) does not. Once the work is done, you must obtain written confirmation from the qualified person and give it, with the report, to your tenants and the council within 28 days of completion.

The rest of the paperwork is simple but easy to forget. The tenant gets a copy within 28 days of the inspection, a new tenant gets one before they move in, a prospective tenant gets one within 28 days of a written request, and the council gets one within 7 days of its written request. You keep the report until the next inspection and hand it to the next inspector.

Who can carry out an EICR?

The regulations say a “qualified person”, which the 2025 amendments define as someone competent to carry out the inspection and testing and any follow-up work. The guidance does not name a mandatory register. In practice, you evidence competence by choosing an electrician registered with a full-scope competent person scheme (NICEIC and NAPIT are two of the operators on the government list), who holds public liability and professional indemnity insurance and has relevant experience. The government guidance points landlords to the Registered Competent Person Electrical register, the Electrical Safety Roundtable and the Electrical Safety First finder.

Our professional finder is the quickest way to compare registered electricians in your area, and the cost guide below has a checklist for spotting a poor report.

How much does electrical safety compliance cost?

These are guide prices from cost guides we read, not quotes we collected. The full breakdown, by property size and region, plus what is and is not included in the fee, is in our guide to EICR certificate cost. If you have several flats, ask for a portfolio price.

Is PAT testing a legal requirement for landlords?

For private landlords in England, there is no specific law that requires PAT testing (portable appliance testing). The National Residential Landlords Association says it is not required by law in general, but that landlords must keep electrical equipment safe, and that PAT testing is a common way to show they have. The one place it can become a legal requirement is a licence condition: if your property is covered by a selective, mandatory or additional licensing scheme, check whether the council requires it.

Practice is stricter than the minimum. The NRLA’s advice is to test appliances you supply at least once a year as best practice, pointing to the HSE’s guidance on maintaining portable electrical equipment (HSG107) for suggested frequencies. New appliances normally do not need testing, but a visual check before use is sensible. PAT testing is also a separate service from an EICR and is priced separately.

The position is different in Scotland, where the Repairing Standard covers appliances the landlord supplies. Those should be inspected and, where required, tested, and tenant-owned appliances are excluded. Social landlords in England now have a duty to have equipment they supply checked at least every five years too. If you let in Wales or Northern Ireland, check the official guidance for your nation, since the regulations summarised on this page deal with the fixed installation.

What about smoke and carbon monoxide alarms?

Alarms sit in a different set of rules from the fixed wiring, with their own requirements and their own checks. Our guide to the smoke and carbon monoxide alarm rules sets them out. For an overview of every certificate a landlord may need, see the landlord certificates checklist, and the compliance checker tells you which apply to your property.

Do Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have different rules?

Yes. All three use a five-year cycle, but the legislation, the paperwork and the consequences differ.

What are the penalties for breaking the rules?

In England the council enforces the regulations. If it has reasonable grounds to believe you are in breach, it can serve a remedial notice, and the guidance says it can arrange urgent remedial action with the tenant’s consent after at least 48 hours’ notice. It can also impose a financial penalty of up to £40,000, which is the maximum after the 2025 amendments raised it from £30,000. You have 28 days to make representations and can appeal to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber).

A landlord who can show they took all reasonable steps to comply is not in breach. A tenant who refuses access is a typical example, and the regulations say you need not start court proceedings to prove you made an effort. In Wales a dwelling without a valid report is treated as unfit for human habitation, and in Northern Ireland failure to comply is an offence the council can prosecute or deal with by fixed penalty notice.

Where to start

• Work out your date. Find the next inspection date on your current report and add it to the renewal calendar.
• Understand the report. Read EICR codes C1, C2, C3 and FI before you speak to your electrician.
• Check the price. Compare quotes against the ranges in EICR certificate cost.
• Find a registered electrician. Use the professional finder.

This guide explains the rules as published on 30 October 2026; for a specific property, check with your local council or a qualified professional.