What does an EICR involve, and what does it cost landlords?

In England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, a landlord electrical safety check is about the fixed electrical installation, but the legal wording and enforcement differ by nation. The practical EICR visit is still similar across the UK: inspection, testing, a written report, and remedial action where the report is unsatisfactory.

What does an EICR involve?

An EICR involves a qualified person inspecting and testing the fixed electrical installation in a rental home: wiring, socket-outlets, light fittings, the consumer unit and other fixed electrical parts. In England the legal duty is to “ensure every electrical installation in the residential premises is inspected and tested at regular intervals by a qualified person”; in Wales, “The landlord must ensure that there is a valid electrical condition report in respect of the dwelling during each period of occupation.” Northern Ireland’s guidance is more explicit for landlords asking what is checked in an electrical safety certificate: “the electrical wiring, sockets, consumer units (fuse box) and other fixed electrical parts” must be inspected and tested every 5 years, or sooner if the inspector says so. Scotland’s legislation does not use the term EICR in the same way, but the duty covers installations, fixtures, fittings and appliances for electricity. In practice, the rental electrical check starts with visual inspection before testing, because Electrical Safety First says inspection should happen first where defects could make testing dangerous.

Does an EICR check every socket?

An EICR does not have a statutory rule saying every socket must be opened or tested in every rental property, but some tests may still be carried out at every reasonably accessible socket on particular circuits. Wales defines the required electrical safety inspection as “the inspection and testing of every electrical service installation in a dwelling,” but no UK nation fixes a socket-by-socket sampling percentage in legislation. The most useful practical figure is Electrical Safety First’s PRS guide, which says “at least one socket-outlet or FCU is checked on each ‘socket’ circuit”; however, it also says that for circuits without RCD protection there should be “earth fault loop impedance testing at every reasonably accessible socket outlet.” That is why two landlords can both receive valid-looking EICRs with different levels of socket sampling: the electrician’s judgement, access, circuit design, RCD protection and condition of the installation all matter.

What tests does the electrician carry out, and in what order?

No fixed legal sequence is mandated for an EICR periodic inspection, and the common dead-test-then-live-test order belongs to new-installation verification rather than landlord EICRs. NICEIC states the point directly: “BS 7671 does not state a specific sequence for testing during a periodic inspection.” Electrical Safety First is even clearer for an EICR: “Unlike initial verification (for new circuits or installations) a periodic inspection (EICR) has no specific sequence or mandatory tests which are required as the installation is already energise and in service.” In practice, an electrician will usually combine visual inspection with tests such as continuity, insulation resistance, polarity, earth fault loop impedance, RCD operation and checks at the consumer unit and accessories, but the seven electrical tests in order often shown on training sites should not be treated as a statutory landlord EICR order. The landlord’s legal obligation is to have the installation inspected and tested to the required electrical safety standards, not to dictate the test sequence.

How long does an EICR take?

An EICR usually takes about 2–4 hours for a flat, 3–5 hours for a three-bedroom house, and most of a day for a larger, older or more complex property. No UK statute fixes how long a 5-year electrical test must take; Northern Ireland’s regulations, for example, only require the landlord to “ensure every electrical installation in the dwelling-house is inspected and tested at regular intervals by a qualified person.” Market timings are therefore more useful than legal wording: SparkCerts says, “An EICR takes roughly 2 to 4 hours for a flat, 3 to 5 hours for a 3 bed house and most of a day for larger or older properties.” The written EICR certificate is not always issued before the electrician leaves; Costwise says, “The written report is usually emailed within a few days, sometimes within 24 to 72 hours.” Access problems, old boards, outbuildings and occupied rooms are the usual reasons the visit takes longer.

How do you prepare for an electrical safety check?

To prepare for an electrical safety check, give the correct access notice, make the consumer unit, meter, sockets, switches, lights and outbuildings accessible, and warn the tenant that power may be turned off during testing. In England and Wales, the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 gives access for inspection at reasonable times “on giving 24 hours' notice in writing to the occupier”; in Scotland a private residential tenant must have “at least 48 hours' notice.” Northern Ireland is different: the Private Tenancies Order requires entry at reasonable times and “upon reasonable notice,” so the often-repeated 24-hour Northern Ireland rule is not in the statutory wording. The most useful practical preparation is physical access, because an electrician’s guide puts it simply: “The most useful thing you can do is make the installation accessible.” Abodient can store the EICR certificate against the property, record its expiry and show it as overdue across a portfolio, which matters because missed electrical renewals are enforcement risks, not admin niceties.

How much does an EICR cost?

An EICR usually costs about £100–£300 in the UK, with a typical price around £200, and London commonly sits nearer £260. No UK legislation sets or caps the price of a landlord electrical test; Northern Ireland’s regulations illustrate the legal duty by requiring the landlord to “obtain a report from the qualified person conducting the inspection and test,” not by setting a fee. Costwise’s 2026 cost guide gives the cleanest market figure: “An EICR, or electrical safety certificate, usually costs £100 to £300 in the UK, with most homeowners paying around £200.” It also says, “In London, an EICR typically costs around £260 for the inspection, about 30% above the UK average of £200.” The electrical certificate cost for rental properties rises where the property is larger, older, has several consumer units, includes outbuildings or needs fault-finding before the report can be finalised.

What fails an EICR?

An EICR fails when the report is unsatisfactory, normally because it contains a C1 danger-present code, a C2 potentially-dangerous code, or a further-investigation item that prevents the inspector from confirming safety. Government guidance for England says of these defects: “The report will state the installation is unsatisfactory for continued use.” A C3 improvement recommendation alone does not fail the EICR; the same guidance says, “Further remedial work is not required for the report to be deemed satisfactory.” Scotland expresses the same practical threshold through the Repairing Standard: “Any element of the electrical installations, fixtures, fittings or equipment recorded in Section K of the EICR as being an observation with Classification Code C1 (Danger present) or C2 (potentially dangerous) must be rectified to comply with the Repairing Standard.” Common reasons for failing an electrical inspection include exposed live parts, damaged accessories, inadequate earthing or bonding, unsafe consumer-unit issues, failed RCD protection and defects requiring further investigation.

What do you do if your EICR comes back unsatisfactory?

In England, an unsatisfactory EICR now exposes a landlord to a civil penalty up to £40,000, not the older £30,000 figure, because the 2025 amendment says, “The maximum financial penalty is increased to £40,000 from £30,000 by regulation 10.” The practical response is immediate triage: make C1 dangers safe straight away, book qualified remedial work, keep written proof, and supply the follow-up confirmation where the local rules require it. England requires remedial or investigative work within 28 days of the inspection, or sooner if the report says so. Northern Ireland uses the same 28-day structure, but breach is criminal rather than England’s civil-penalty regime: “A landlord who commits an offence under paragraph (1) is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale,” currently £5,000. Wales does not use the same fixed day-count for the remedial work; instead, “A dwelling is to be treated as unfit for human habitation” while the landlord is not compliant. Scotland says a C1 should be dealt with “immediately.”

Can you sell a property with an unsatisfactory EICR?

You can sell a property with an unsatisfactory EICR in England, Wales and Scotland, but it can still delay, reduce or derail the sale if the buyer, surveyor or lender wants the defects fixed first. For England and Wales, Propelr states: “There is no legal requirement for an EICR when selling an owner-occupied property in England and Wales.” Scotland’s Home Report rules also do not make an EICR one of the prescribed sale documents; the explanatory note says the required documents are “a survey report which also contains information on energy efficiency” and “a property questionnaire.” That does not make an unsatisfactory report harmless. A buyer may renegotiate, ask for retesting after remedial works, or rely on lender requirements; Propelr says, “the lender will not release the full mortgage funds until a satisfactory EICR is provided or the specified remedial work is completed.” Northern Ireland selling practice is not covered here, so do not assume the same lender or conveyancing position without local advice.

Is this an appliance fault or a wiring problem that needs an electrician?

A fault is more likely to be an appliance issue if one plug-in item trips the circuit when used, but it is more likely to be a wiring or fixed-installation problem if the circuit trips with everything unplugged, if the consumer unit or sockets are suspect, or if unusual fixed wiring is involved. The landlord’s fixed-installation duty is clear in England: the repairing covenant covers “the installations in the dwelling-house for the supply of water, gas and electricity,” but not “appliances for making use of the supply.” Northern Ireland’s 2024 regime is similarly fixed-installation only: “electrical installation” means “fixed electrical cables or fixed electrical equipment located on the consumer's side of the electricity supply meter,” and guidance says the rules “do not cover the inspection of plug-in electrical appliances.” Scotland is different because its statutory duty includes electrical “fixtures, fittings and appliances.” For diagnosis, the market rule is simple: “Unplugging appliances one at a time can identify the culprit; if it keeps tripping with everything off, it needs an electrician.” A ceiling rose with five cables, or any lighting wiring you do not understand, should be checked by a qualified electrician.

Last reviewed August 2026.

Sources

• Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020, regulation 3 — “(b)ensure every electrical installation in the residential premises is inspected and tested at regular intervals by a qualified person; and” Source
• Housing (Scotland) Act 2006, section 19A — “(a)relates to installations for the supply of electricity and electrical fixtures, fittings and appliances, and” Source
• Renting Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) (Wales) Regulations 2022, regulation 6 — “The landlord must ensure that there is a valid electrical condition report in respect of the dwelling during each period of occupation.” Source
• Department for Communities Northern Ireland, electrical safety standards guidance — “the electrical wiring, sockets, consumer units (fuse box) and other fixed electrical parts in a property let under a private tenancy must be inspected and tested every 5 years, or more often than this if the qualified person undertaking the inspection thinks that is necessary” Source
• GOV.UK electrical safety standards guidance — “The inspection will be of the installations in the premises for the supply of electricity i.e. the “fixed” electrical parts of the premises, such as the wiring, the socket-outlets (plug sockets), the light fittings and the consumer unit (sometimes called the “fuse box”).” Source
• Electrical Safety First BPG10 — “An installation should be inspected before any testing is carried out as defects or signs of significant damage might be found that would make testing of the installation dangerous to the tenants of the building, or to the person(s) carrying out such work.” Source
• Renting Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) (Wales) Regulations 2022, regulation 6 — ““electrical safety inspection” (“archwiliad diogelwch trydanol”) means the inspection and testing of every electrical service installation in a dwelling in accordance with the electrical safety standards” Source
• Electrical Safety First BPG10 — “at least one socket-outlet or FCU is checked on each ‘socket’ circuit” Source
• Electrical Safety First BPG10 — “For circuits without RCD protection, earth fault loop impedance testing at every reasonably accessible socket outlet and the furthest end (so far as this may be determined) of every other circuit.” Source
• NICEIC technical article — “BS 7671 does not state a specific sequence for testing during a periodic inspection.” Source
• Electrical Safety First BPG10 — “Unlike initial verification (for new circuits or installations) a periodic inspection (EICR) has no specific sequence or mandatory tests which are required as the installation is already energise and in service.” Source
• Electrical Safety Standards (Private Tenancies) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2024, regulation 3 — “(b)ensure every electrical installation in the dwelling-house is inspected and tested at regular intervals by a qualified person; and” Source
• SparkCerts, EICR duration guide — “In short: An EICR takes roughly 2 to 4 hours for a flat, 3 to 5 hours for a 3 bed house and most of a day for larger or older properties.” Source
• Costwise, EICR cost guide — “The written report is usually emailed within a few days, sometimes within 24 to 72 hours.” Source
• Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, section 11 — “(6)In a lease in which the lessor's repairing covenant is implied there is also implied a covenant by the lessee that the lessor, or any person authorised by him in writing, may at reasonable times of the day and on giving 24 hours' notice in writing to the occupier, enter the premises comprised in the lease for the purpose of viewing their condition and state of repair.” Source
• Private Housing (Tenancies) (Scotland) Act 2016, schedule 2 — “(a)the tenant has been given at least 48 hours' notice, or” Source
• Private Tenancies (Northern Ireland) Order 2006, article 12 — “12.—(1) The tenant under a private tenancy shall permit the landlord, and persons authorised by him for the purpose, to enter the premises comprised in the tenancy at reasonable times and upon reasonable notice in order to–” Source
• Goodwin Electrical, EICR preparation guide — “The most useful thing you can do is make the installation accessible.” Source
• Electrical Safety Standards (Private Tenancies) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2024, regulation 3 — “(a)obtain a report from the qualified person conducting the inspection and test, which gives the results of the inspection and test and the date of the next inspection and test;” Source
• Costwise, EICR cost guide — “An EICR, or electrical safety certificate, usually costs £100 to £300 in the UK, with most homeowners paying around £200.” Source
• Costwise, EICR cost guide — “In London, an EICR typically costs around £260 for the inspection, about 30% above the UK average of £200.” Source
• GOV.UK electrical safety standards guidance — “The report will state the installation is unsatisfactory for continued use.” Source
• GOV.UK electrical safety standards guidance — “Further remedial work is not required for the report to be deemed satisfactory.” Source
• Scottish Government Repairing Standard statutory guidance — “Any element of the electrical installations, fixtures, fittings or equipment recorded in Section K of the EICR as being an observation with Classification Code C1 (Danger present) or C2 (potentially dangerous) must be rectified to comply with the Repairing Standard.” Source
• Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 — “the private landlord must ensure that further investigative or remedial work is carried out by a qualified person within—” Source
• Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2025, regulation 10 — “The maximum financial penalty is increased to £40,000 from £30,000 by regulation 10.” Source
• Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 — “must not exceed £30,000.” Source
• Renting Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) (Wales) Regulations 2022, regulation 6 — “A dwelling is to be treated as unfit for human habitation at a time when the landlord is not in compliance with a requirement imposed by this regulation.” Source
• Scottish Government Repairing Standard statutory guidance — “Classification Code C1 means that anyone using the installation is at risk and remedial work should be carried out by an electrically skilled person immediately.” Source
• Electrical Safety Standards (Private Tenancies) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2024, regulation 3 — “the landlord must ensure that further investigative or remedial work is carried out by a qualified person within—” Source
• Electrical Safety Standards (Private Tenancies) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2024 — “A landlord who commits an offence under paragraph (1) is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale.” Source
• Propelr, EICR for sellers guide — “There is no legal requirement for an EICR when selling an owner-occupied property in England and Wales.” Source
• Propelr, selling with electrical issues guide — “This means the lender will not release the full mortgage funds until a satisfactory EICR is provided or the specified remedial work is completed.” Source
• Housing (Scotland) Act 2006 (Prescribed Documents) Regulations 2008, explanatory note — “The documents, which are prescribed in regulation 4, are a survey report which also contains information on energy efficiency, set out in Schedule 1, and a property questionnaire, set out in Schedule 2.” Source
• Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, section 11 — “(b)to keep in repair and proper working order the installations in the dwelling-house for the supply of water, gas and electricity and for sanitation (including basins, sinks, baths and sanitary conveniences, but not other fixtures, fittings and appliances for making use of the supply of water, gas or electricity), and” Source
• Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016, section 92 — “(4)In this Part, “service installation” means an installation for the supply of water, gas or electricity, for sanitation, for space heating or for heating water.” Source
• Electrical Safety Standards (Private Tenancies) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2024, regulation 2 — ““electrical installation” means fixed electrical cables or fixed electrical equipment located on the consumer's side of the electricity supply meter;” Source
• Department for Communities Northern Ireland, electrical safety standards guidance — “The Regulations do not cover the inspection of plug-in electrical appliances like cookers, fridges, televisions, only the fixed electrical installations.” Source
• Housing (Scotland) Act 2014, section 23 — “(a)relates to installations for the supply of electricity and electrical fixtures, fittings and appliances, and” Source
• Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, regulation 4 — “(2) As may be necessary to prevent danger, all systems shall be maintained so as to prevent, so far as is reasonably practicable, such danger.” Source
• Fantastic Services, electrical fault finding cost guide — “Unplugging appliances one at a time can identify the culprit; if it keeps tripping with everything off, it needs an electrician.” Source
• Fantastic Services, electrical fault finding cost guide — “Electrical fault finding typically costs £80–£200 inc VAT, covering the call-out and the first diagnostic hour.” Source