The legal requirement in brief
Under the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020, landlords in England must make sure the fixed electrical installation in a rented home is inspected and tested by a qualified and competent person at least every five years, or sooner if the previous report says so. The inspection produces an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR).
The rules have applied to new private tenancies since 1 July 2020 and to all existing private tenancies since 1 April 2021. They have since been extended to the social rented sector, so the Regulations now cover registered providers of social housing too.
Your duties, step by step
- Inspect and test the installation at least every five years, using a qualified person who works to BS 7671.
- Give a copy of the report to existing tenants within 28 days of the inspection.
- Give a copy to new tenants before they occupy the property, and to prospective tenants within 28 days of a written request.
- Give a copy to the local housing authority within 7 days of a written request.
- Complete remedial work or further investigation within 28 days of the inspection, or sooner if the report specifies.
- Get written confirmation that remedial work is complete and send it to the tenant and the local authority within 28 days of the work.
- Keep a copy of the report to give to the inspector carrying out the next inspection.
What counts as a "satisfactory" report?
An EICR is unsatisfactory if it records any C1 (danger present), C2 (potentially dangerous) or FI (further investigation required) observation. C3 observations are recommendations only and do not make the report unsatisfactory. Our guide to EICR codes explains each one with examples.
Penalties
Local authorities enforce the Regulations and can issue civil penalties without going to court. Following the Renters' Rights Act 2025, the maximum civil penalty is up to £40,000 per breach, up from £30,000. Each failure — not inspecting, not providing the report, not completing remedials — can be a separate breach. Councils can also carry out urgent remedial work themselves and recover the cost.
The 2026 renewal wave
Because every existing private tenancy needed an EICR by 1 April 2021, a large number of five-year reports fell due for renewal during 2026. If your last report was carried out in late 2020 or early 2021 and has not been renewed, it has probably expired. Check the "next inspection" date on the report — some are issued with shorter intervals than five years.
Social landlords
The Regulations were extended to the social rented sector in late 2025. They now apply to new social tenancies and, from 1 May 2026, to existing social tenancies, with the government setting a deadline of 1 November 2026 for the first round of checks on existing tenancies. Social landlords also have a duty to test electrical equipment they provide, which private landlords in England do not. Confirm the detail for your stock in the official GOV.UK guidance.
HMOs and licensing
The five-year duty applies to HMOs in the same way, but many councils across London and the South East run mandatory, additional or selective licensing schemes that also ask for a current EICR, and sometimes for PAT testing, emergency lighting and fire alarm certificates. Check your council's licence conditions before an inspection is booked.
Wales and Scotland
Different rules apply outside England. In Wales, the Renting Homes (Wales) Act and its fitness regulations require electrical testing at least every five years. In Scotland, the Repairing Standard requires an EICR and appliance testing at least every five years. Our landlord EICR page summarises all three.
What exempt tenancies are there?
Some arrangements are outside the Regulations, including lodgers sharing with the landlord's family, long leases of seven years or more, student halls, hostels and refuges, care homes and hospitals. If you are unsure, take advice before relying on an exemption.