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Landlords who rent out any residential property must have an EICR rated ‘satisfactory’ in place and issue it to each existing tenant or prospective tenant if requested. Incidentally, it has always been a requirement to provide a property that has safe electrics, however, as from 1st July 2020, issuing a tenant with a ‘satisfactory’ EICR has become mandatory and there can be a stiff fine (up to £30,000!) for not having one in place. Landlords require an up to date EICR.
Home sellers – it is becoming increasingly popular for a prospective buyer to request a copy of an EICR from the seller and certainly more often required by the conveyancing solicitor before exchange of contracts.
Home buyers – This purchase is likely to be the most significant thing that you ever buy. Requesting a copy of a current EICR is the best way of really knowing what the condition of the electrics are. Much can be covered up by shiny new sockets and a modern consumer unit.
Home owners – If you are thinking of redecorating, refurbishing, extending or converting the loft – always get a full electrical test done first! Sadly, we visit many homes that have just finished decorating and then decide they would like to add a couple of sockets or lights etc, only to find that the whole installation is not adequate and requires updating before we can install them. Carpets and floors may have to be pulled up and walls chased to achieve the desired result, as well as having a credit card to meet the unexpected cost!
Home insurance – since a high proportion of fires within the home are caused by faulty electrics, somewhere in the small print of your insurance policy there is likely to be a clause stating something similar to this all reasonable steps should be taken to maintain the property in a good condition. If there was a fire, one of the first things the company is likely to ask for is a copy of your latest electrical report.
Those that want peace of mind! – Having a ‘satisfactory’ EICR means that you can be confident that you have done all that you can to ensure that your electrics are safe and unlikely to be a cause of any serious problem. Not only that, you and your family are being kept safe too!
Usually, a rental property report is valid for a maximum 5 years and a private residence 10 years, although the engineer carrying out the test can override how often the test should be valid for. A label will be adhered to the consumer unit stating when the test should be repeated as a maximum date.
When an EICR is carried out on a rental property it should include all the fixed wiring within the premises that is rented by the tenant, so this would include any garage or outbuilding that the tenant has access to.
Fixed wiring includes every individual circuit from the consumer unit (fuse board) and inspection of a proportion (usually a minimum of 25%) of the outlets on that circuit, for example, the upstairs lights have 5 outlets – 3 bedrooms, a bathroom and landing – then at least 2 of those pendants / light fittings should be removed and inspected. If those 2 do not look satisfactory then further investigation would be recommended, which would usually be at extra cost / time.
A full test of any property will take a minimum of a couple of hours and often 3 – 4 hours. It really depends on how many circuits are in the property – a one bedroom flat with storage heaters can have twice as many circuits as a 4 bedroom house with gas central heating!
It also depends on how many problems there are. If a circuit tests fine and there have not been lots of ‘additions’ to it by unqualified ‘DIYers’ then things tend to go a lot more smoothly and quicker. You can be assured of one thing, the engineer wants to get through it a quickly as possible and to be out of your way, just as much and you do!
An EICR must be carried out by a suitably qualified electrical engineer who is registered with an approved electrical governing body such as the NICEIC. You can I find an Approved Electrical Contractor by searching the NICEIC website or on other sites such as Checkatrade.
It will involve the engineer accessing all the sockets, lights and any other electrical outlets such as a cooker or a shower, in the property. This means they will have to have access to every room and, ideally every socket. The power will need to be turned off for most of the time.
The meter that the engineer uses can test whether:
Common ‘Class 2’ issues that we find, and thus need to be addressed before a ‘satisfactory’ report can be issued:
