If you let a property in England, the landlord EICR rules come down to this: you must have the electrical installation inspected and tested at least every five years by a qualified person, give the report to your tenants, and fix anything it flags within 28 days. Break those duties and the council can impose a civil penalty of up to £40,000 per breach.
The report itself is an EICR — an Electrical Installation Condition Report, the formal record of that inspection. The rules come from the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020, and this guide covers the deadlines, the paperwork, what changed for 2026, and typical costs.
Letting a property in Bristol? Get a fixed-price EICR quote or call Mark on 07973 782 821 — based in Downend, covering Bristol and surrounding areas. No call-out charge for quotes, and no obligation.
The landlord EICR rules at a glance
Here is every duty the Regulations put on you, with its deadline.
| Duty | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Have the installation inspected and tested (an EICR) | At least every 5 years, or sooner if the last report says so |
| Give the report to your existing tenants | Within 28 days of the inspection |
| Give the report to a new tenant | Before they move in |
| Give the report to a prospective tenant who asks | Within 28 days of the request |
| Give the report to the council if they ask | Within 7 days of the written request |
| Complete remedial work after an unsatisfactory report | Within 28 days, or sooner if the report specifies |
| Send written confirmation the remedial work is done, to tenants and the council | Within 28 days of completing the work |
The Regulations cover most private tenancies and licences to occupy, including the periodic tenancies that replaced assured shortholds in May 2026. The main exceptions are lodgers who share your own home, and leases of seven years or more.
An EICR is only one of your legal obligations as a landlord. For the full picture, see our landlord electrical checklist.
How often does a rental need an EICR?
At least every five years. The five years run from the date of the inspection, not from the start of the tenancy, and the report itself states the date by which the next inspection is due. If the electrician recommends a shorter interval — which can happen with older installations — that shorter date is the one that counts legally.
Two points catch landlords out:
- A change of tenant does not reset the clock, but it does not require a new EICR either — a satisfactory report that is still in date carries over to the new tenancy.
- Do not wait for the expiry date to book. An unsatisfactory report gives you 28 days to complete remedial work, so booking a couple of months early leaves room to fix anything without going out of compliance.
In practice we suggest putting the renewal date in your calendar the day you receive each report. Five years is long enough to forget.
What changed for 2026
The core landlord EICR requirements have not changed since 2020: same five-year cycle, same 28-day deadlines. What has changed is the enforcement around them.
- Penalties changed on 1 May 2026. Offences committed before 1 May 2026 fall under the Housing and Planning Act 2016 regime, with a £30,000 maximum penalty. From 1 May 2026, civil penalties under the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 apply instead: typically up to £7,000 for a first breach, and up to £40,000 for serious or repeat breaches.
- Social housing is now covered. A 2025 amendment extended the Regulations to registered providers of social housing — applying to social tenancies granted from 1 December 2025, and to existing social tenancies from 1 May 2026, with first checks due by 1 November 2026.
- The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 changed tenancies, not your EICR duties. From 1 May 2026, fixed-term assured shorthold tenancies converted to open-ended periodic tenancies under the Act. Your EICR obligations carry over unchanged — same five-year cycle, same deadlines, same paperwork for tenants and the council.
You may see claims online about annual EICRs or new testing rules for 2026. As of the current GOV.UK guidance for landlords, the five-year cycle stands.
Starting a new tenancy: what to hand over
Before a new tenant occupies the property, they must have a copy of the current EICR. Treat it like the gas safety certificate and the How to Rent guide: part of the standard move-in pack. If a prospective tenant asks for the report before signing, you have 28 days to provide it.
There is no requirement to commission a fresh EICR for each tenancy, provided the existing report is satisfactory and still in date. If the last report was unsatisfactory and the remedial work has not been done and confirmed in writing, you are not compliant, whoever the tenant is.
Remember the separate duties on smoke and carbon monoxide alarms too — we cover those in smoke alarm regulations for rentals.
What happens if the report is unsatisfactory
An EICR comes back either satisfactory or unsatisfactory, based on the codes the inspector records. C1 (danger present), C2 (potentially dangerous) and FI (further investigation needed) all make the report unsatisfactory. C3 (improvement recommended) does not — a report with only C3s is a pass.
If the report is unsatisfactory, the clock starts:
- Complete the remedial work within 28 days, or sooner if the report specifies a shorter period. A C1 means danger is present now and needs immediate attention.
- Get written confirmation from the electrician that the work is done and the installation now meets the standard.
- Send that confirmation to your tenants and the local authority within 28 days of the work being completed.
The difference between a C2 and a C3 decides whether you are legally required to act, so it is worth understanding — we explain it in C2 vs C3: what landlords must fix. And if you have just received a fail and want a plain-English plan, see failed EICR: what next.
Penalties: what the council can actually do
The headline figure is a civil penalty of up to £40,000, and it is per breach — miss the inspection duty and the duty to supply the report, and each can be penalised separately. Councils do not need to take you to court to issue one.
Beyond fines, the local authority has real teeth:
- Remedial notices. If the council has reasonable grounds to believe you are in breach, it can serve a notice requiring the work within 28 days.
- Work in default. If you still do not act, the council can arrange the remedial work itself, with the tenant’s consent, and recover the full cost from you.
One protection worth knowing: you are not in breach if you can show you took all reasonable steps to comply. If a tenant refuses access for the inspection, keep every message and offered appointment in writing — that paper trail is your defence.
What a landlord EICR costs
As a guide, here is what landlords typically pay in the Bristol area in 2026:
| Property | Typical EICR price (2026) |
|---|---|
| 1–3 bed house or flat | £150–£250 |
| Larger home (4+ bed) | £250–£350 |
Prices vary with the size and age of the installation. A lot of Bristol’s rental stock is Victorian and Edwardian terraces — common around Fishponds, Staple Hill and Kingswood — and older installations with more circuits or previous DIY alterations take longer to test properly. We break the pricing down fully in our EICR cost guide for Bristol.
Be wary of very cheap EICRs advertised online. An inspection that misses a genuine C2 does not protect you or your tenant, and the report is your legal evidence of compliance.
Frequently asked questions
Does an EICR expire after exactly five years?
The legal duty is an inspection at least every five years, but the controlling date is the “next inspection due” date written on your current report. If the inspector recommended a shorter interval, that earlier date applies. Book the new inspection before the date on the report so any remedial work can be completed without a gap in compliance.
Do I need a new EICR every time the tenant changes?
No. If your current report is satisfactory and still within its five-year window, it carries over to the new tenancy. Your duty is to give the new tenant a copy before they occupy the property, and to give a copy to any prospective tenant who requests one within 28 days.
Is a C3 code a fail?
No. C3 means improvement is recommended, and a report containing only C3 observations is still satisfactory. You are not legally required to do C3 work, though some of it is cheap and worth doing while an electrician is on site. C1 and C2 codes, and FI, are what make a report unsatisfactory.
Do the rules apply to HMOs and flats?
Yes. HMOs let to tenants are covered by the same Regulations, and an EICR is also required for HMO licensing. Individual let flats are covered too; note the EICR covers your flat’s own installation, not the building’s communal areas, which are the freeholder’s or management company’s responsibility.
Need your rental certified? Get a fixed-price EICR quote or call Mark on 07973 782 821. We carry out landlord EICRs across Bristol — Downend, Fishponds, Staple Hill, Kingswood and surrounding areas — with clear pricing up front and the paperwork you need for your tenants and the council.