Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR)

In July 2020, the Electrical Safety Standards in Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 came into force. It applies to all tenancies created on or before 1^st July 2020 in England. These regulations require the landlord to have the electrical installations in their property inspected at a minimum of every 5 years and tested by a qualified professional.

Landlords receive a copy of the ‘Electrical Installation Condition Report’ – known as the EICR – that should be reported to their tenants and any local authorities that request it. It’s the responsibility of a private landlord to ensure that the electrical installations in their premises are inspected and tested.

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Trusted Local Electrician makes finding the right electrician for the job easier. We strive to ensure we list competent and trustworthy electricians. We will only list an electrician after confirming they are accredited with a recognised and reputable government approved trade body under the Competent Person Scheme, introduced by the Government, to allow individuals and enterprises to self-certify their work that complies with the Building Regulations. This means they meet strict entry requirements, and their work is regularly assessed, to ensure their competence and that their work meets the correct standards, and have public liability insurance in place with the total level of cover displayed alongside their listing.

We check each electrician/company is listed with a government approved trade body in particular: NICEIC, NAPIT, STROMA, OFTEC, ELECSA, BSI, BESCA and Benchmark, this will be clearly visible on their listing under what trade body they are listed with. Electricians listed here are independent of us. They are not our employees, agents or partners. This means whilst making your decision on which of the electricians listed with Trusted Local Electrician is right for your project, whether it be on a domestic or commercial basis.

What the Regulation Means for Landlords.

Most landlords who operate in the private sector won’t need to do anything differently. The vast majority are already having regular safety checks conducted on their electrical appliances in residential properties. The regulation exists to ensure that every landlord is meeting this standard.

Our certified electricians are trained to carried out the required checks in order to be able to provide an ‘Electrical Installation Condition Report’. An EICR is a report that assesses the safety of the property’s existing electrical installation and gives a description of its condition. Various systems are reported on during the EICR report. This report includes an assessment of switches, sockets, lighting, consumer units, and protective bonding. The report exists to confirm the safety condition of the electrical installations and recommends whether the installation can continue to be used safely.

The EICR shows whether the electrical installation is in an ‘unsatisfactory’ or ‘satisfactory’ condition and will provide details on observations made that may affect the safety of the installation. It also notes any necessary improvements that are needed in order to bring the installation up to a satisfactory standard.

An EICR has a number of observation codes that will be listed on the report.

The Unsatisfactory Codes are:

C1 – A clear and immediate danger is present that could lead to a risk of injury. Immediate remedial action is required.
C2 – Potentially Dangerous and requires urgent remedial action.
FI – Further investigation is required on the electrical installation.
A Satisfactory Code is:
- C3 – Improvement recommended but the electrical installation is satisfactory.

If the EICR contains a C1, C2, or F1 code on its report then it is labelled as unsatisfactory.

In most cases, an electrician will take immediate action to make an electrical installation safe if a C1 code is listed on the report. In the case of a F1 or C2 code, it is the responsibility of the landlord to organise a replacement, repair, or further investigation into the issue within 28 days.

The C3 code is applied to aspects of the electrical installation that don’t present a current danger but that there are questions over the safety of it. In most cases, a C3 code is awarded when an installation is not unsafe but where it may not meet current regulations, although it did at the time of installation. A landlord is not required to carry out work if a C3 code is attributed to an electrical installation. If there is only C3 observations made, the EICR is labelled as ‘satisfactory’.

Do I Receive a Certificate That Shows My EICR Compliance?

The regulation doesn’t make a requirement for the electrician to issue you with a certification of your compliance, however there will be a report issued.

The report includes information on:

Whether the results of the inspect were satisfactory or unsatisfactory
If necessary, the list of observations that detail remedial work or areas of further investigation.
The date by when the next test and inspection of the property is due.

Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR)