Private Rented Sector
Landlord electrical safety duties
The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 apply to almost every private tenancy in England. Paul carries out EICRs to BS 7671:2018+A4:2026 and provides the paperwork councils and letting agents actually ask for.
What you must do
1. Have the fixed installation inspected and tested at least every 5 years.
The report must be an EICR to BS 7671, carried out by a qualified and competent person.
2. Supply the EICR to a new tenant before they move in.
And within 28 days to existing tenants after each new EICR.
3. Supply the EICR to the local authority within 7 days on request.
4. Complete any remedial or further investigative work within 28 days (or sooner if the report says so).
Codes C1, C2 and FI must all be resolved. Written confirmation from the electrician must be supplied to the tenant and, if requested, the council.
Understanding EICR codes
- C1 — Danger present. Immediate remedial action required.
- C2 — Potentially dangerous. Urgent remedial action required.
- C3 — Improvement recommended. Not a failure but strongly advised.
- FI — Further investigation required.
A report is Unsatisfactory if it contains any C1, C2 or FI. C3s alone do not fail a report but should be reviewed at the next EICR.
Penalties for non-compliance
Local authorities can impose civil penalties of up to £30,000per breach. Multiple breaches can attract multiple penalties on the same property. Councils can also commission remedial works and recover the cost from the landlord.