Everything You Need To Know About EICR’s

What is an EICR?   

EICR stands for Electrical Inspection Condition Report and it is a compulsory certificate Landlords need to obtain for their property. The certificate details the inspection of all electrical installations in a property and it can only be carried out by a qualified electrician.   

 

What does this mean for Landlords?  

 

It has always been a Landlord’s responsibility to ensure the electrics in their property are safe, but up until now they have not needed to certify that this is the case. The government have now brought in legislation that requires a Landlord to pay for the EICR test to be carried out, along with any necessary remedial work. We appreciate that this is a double whammy for Landlords, but the most important thing to remember is the change in regulation has been brought in to protect the safety of people living in tenanted properties.  

  

What are the regulations?  

  

As of the 1st  June 2020, a Landlord must ensure that their property has an electrical test, or EICR, carried out before entering a new tenancy. They then have 28 days, from the date the test was carried out, to remedy any faults highlighted in the test.  

As of 1st April 2021, all tenancies require an EICR to be carried out and any remedial faults must be remedied within 28 days. The test and subsequent remedial certificates must then be provided to the tenants.  

   

Things to bear in mind…  

  

• The test grades the faults from codes 1 – 4. The only codes that require action are codes 1 & 2 

• The electricians test roughly 25% of the wiring in the property 

• The test lasts for 5 years. If you have a new build property with a 10 NHBC certificate, this still needs to be tested again 5 years after it was carried out, to comply with the regulations for rented properties 

• The most common items that need upgrading are the fuse board (changing a plastic one for metal) and fire rated spotlights 

• As a result of this change in legislation, electricians are very busy. Do not leave it to the last minute to get a test carried out. We would recommend arranging this 2 – 4 weeks before it is needed.  

  

Douglas & Gordon Property Management   

If you are a Landlord using our Property Management service, we can organise the EICR and help you arrange any subsequent remedial work. We only work with carefully vetted, tried and trusted contractors that offer a competitive and fair price.   

If you would like to find out more about our Property Management service, you can visit the Property Management page on our website. If you would prefer to speak to a member of our team, please call us on 0207 225 0234 or email us at propman@dng.co.uk