EICR: the five-year rule, the 28-day rules, and the £30,000 fine
The electrical report is the quietest of the landlord certificates — five years is long enough to forget it exists. What the EICR actually requires in England, and the deadlines hiding inside it.
Checked on 21 Jul 2026
General information, not legal or tax advice.
At a glance
- Every privately rented home in England needs an electrical installation condition report (EICR) from a qualified person
- Inspection at least every 5 years — sooner if the last report says so
- Copies: to existing tenants within 28 days of the inspection, to new tenants before they move in, to the council within 7 days if asked
- Remedial work the report requires (C1/C2/FI codes) must be done within 28 days — or sooner if the report says so
- Councils can fine up to £30,000 per breach
The gas certificate announces itself every year; the EICR goes quiet for five. That's exactly why it's the one landlords lose track of — five years is long enough to move house, change agents, and forget which drawer the last report is in.
Here's what England's electrical safety rules actually require, and the three separate deadlines hiding inside them.
What the EICR is
The electrical installation condition report covers the fixed installation — consumer unit, wiring, sockets, light fittings — not the kettle. A qualified inspector tests the installation and codes anything wrong: C1 (danger present), C2 (potentially dangerous), FI (further investigation), or C3 (improvement recommended — the only code that doesn't oblige you to act).
The duty comes from the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020, and it applies to virtually every private tenancy in England.
The three clocks inside one certificate
| Deadline | The rule |
|---|---|
| Every 5 years | A new inspection — sooner if the previous report specifies a shorter interval |
| 28 days | Copies to existing tenants after the inspection (new tenants get it before moving in; the council within 7 days if it asks) |
| 28 days | Remedial work for C1/C2/FI findings, confirmed in writing — sooner if the report says so |
The second and third clocks are the ones that catch people who think the job ended when the inspector left. A report with a C2 finding isn't compliance — it's a to-do list with a four-week fuse.
What it costs to ignore
Local authorities can serve remedial notices and, ultimately, impose civil penalties of up to £30,000 per breach — and unlike the gas regime, enforcement here is council-led, which means it often arrives via a tenant complaint rather than an inspection cycle.
The EICR is also on the list of documents the PRS Database is expected to want uploaded as registration rolls out — one more reason the report needs to be findable, not just done.
Keeping the five-year clock honest
Five years is precisely the interval a filing cabinet forgets. Two fixes: the deadline calculator tells you when yours is next due (and how it stacks against your gas and EPC dates) — and photographing the report into KeepUp files it against the property with the renewal tracked automatically, alongside the rest of the compliance calendar. It's free for one place.
This covers England — Scotland has required five-yearly electrical checks for longer under its own rules, and Wales and Northern Ireland differ. General information, not legal advice.
Common questions
- How often does a rental property need an EICR?
- In England, at least every 5 years — or sooner if the previous report specifies a shorter interval. The five years run from the inspection date on the report.
- What happens if the EICR finds problems?
- C1, C2 and FI codes oblige you to complete remedial work within 28 days (or sooner if the report says so) and confirm it in writing to tenants and, if requested, the council. C3 is a recommendation only.
- What is the fine for not having an EICR?
- Local authorities in England can impose civil penalties of up to £30,000 per breach — for having no valid report, failing to provide copies, or failing to do required remedial work.
- Do I need a new EICR for each new tenant?
- No — the report is valid for its stated period (up to 5 years) across tenancies. But each new tenant must receive a copy before they move in.