A valid Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) is necessary as of July 2021 for new tenancies and as of April 2021 for existing tenancies. Landlords are legally required to ensure that the property they rent, and any electrical equipment therein, is safe before the beginning of a tenancy and throughout its term.
Continue reading to find out more about EICR legal requirements for private landlords. Our experienced estate agents in Stratford at 0207 055 0441 can help you better tackle all legal and technical issues relating to EICR.
What you can find in this article:
What Does the EICR Inspection Comprise?
Outcome of the EICR Inspection
Obligations After the EICR Inspection
What Is EICR?
EICR is an Electrical Installation Condition Report. It is an official document issued further to the electrical inspection of a property. EICR proves that all electrical installations and systems within the property are safe, correctly installed, and well maintained.
Our qualified estate agents in Stratford remind you that the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 have been in force since June 2020. They ensure that the rented housing sector offers well maintained, high-quality, safe and secure housing. Inspections of the property should be carried out by a competent and qualified person at least every 5 years.
Therefore, the EICR is your proof that you are aware of your responsibilities as a landlord. And that you abide by the applicable laws and regulations. Moreover, regular testing of electrical systems in the insured premises is one of many insurers’ requirements.
Apart from finding whether your electrical system is safe, an EICR also pinpoints areas of improvement. Follow-up on the EICR findings can reduce your energy consumption and improve your carbon footprint, while making your property more cost-efficient.
What Does the EICR Inspection Comprise?
Our experienced Stratford estate agents can help you find the perfect electrician to perform the inspection. This will only include the fixed electrical parts, like the wiring, the socket-outlets, the light fittings and the consumer unit (or fuse box). The inspection will also include any permanently connected equipment such as pools, showers, and extractors.
The Regulations do not cover electrical appliances (like cookers, fridges, televisions). However, our savvy Stratford estate agents recommend that landlords regularly conduct portable appliance testing on any electrical appliances that they provide. Subsequently, tenants are responsible for making sure that the appliances in their use and any of their own electrical appliances are safe.
An EICR inspection usually takes between one and four hours. There are several factors that dictate the duration of the inspection. Among them, the size of the property, the accessibility of electrical systems, and the number of electrical equipment.
Depending on what the qualified electrician finds, additional inspection may be required. Our best-in-class estate agents in Stratford can assist in finding a qualified expert for the inspection or for better deciding on the extent of the inspection.
Potential EICR Issues
Our knowledgeable estate agents in Stratford provide quality service. They make sure that the inspection finds whether any of these 4 issues exist:
Overloaded electrical installations
The electrician will look for any existing “daisy-chaining”, where one extension lead is connected to another extension lead. The inspection will also determine the suitability of the control gear and switchgear.
Potential electric shock risks and fire hazards
The inspection will cover the condition of sockets, switches, light fittings and other electrical appliances. It will find any signs of damage or wear and tear that might make them unsafe.
The lack of earthing or bonding
Suitability of wiring, bonding, and earthing is necessary to prevent electrical shocks that are built into electrical installations.
Any defective electrical work
An experienced electrician will determine the condition of visible cables and leads, light fittings and downlighters. At the same time, they determine whether an installation or equipment is properly installed.
Outcome of the EICR Inspection
The outcome of the inspection is the EICR issued by the electrical inspector. This report will be used until the next inspection date. Our Stratford estate agents remind you that EICR is not a certificate. It is a detailed description of the overall status of your electrical installation and of any investigative or remedial work required.
The EICR points out the damages, defects, deterioration and other conditions that could put everyone in the building at risk. Pictures can be enclosed in the report, to emphasise any identified issues.
The Electrical Safety Standards state that an EICR inspection should be conducted every five years. Still, more frequent inspection might be recommended because of the age of the installation or if the electrical system was tampered with or vandalised, among other reasons.
The report will specify one of the following classification codes. They indicate the cases where repairs and remedial works are required. Our experienced estate agents in Stratford can help you better understand and comply with these EICR legal requirements.
- Code 1 (C1): Danger present. The property poses a risk of injury. Immediate remedy is needed. Any C1 hazards should be made safe by the inspector before leaving the property.
- Code 2 (C2): Potentially dangerous. Remedies are urgent in order to ensure the safety and reliability of the electrical installation.
- Further Investigation (FI): Additional investigation is required immediately. There are areas that the electrician cannot access, such as cables in the floors and walls. Here, the electrical safety of the property can only be determined based on further information or investigation.
- Code 3 (C3): Improvement recommended. No additional work is required for the report to be deemed satisfactory; improvement is merely recommended.
If the report code is any other than C3, this means that remedial work or further investigation is required. The landlord must complete such actions within 28 days or any shorter period as stipulated in the report.
Within 28 days, the landlord must deliver written confirmation on the completion of such works to the tenant and to the local authority.
Obligations After the EICR Inspection
Our savvy real estate agents in Stratford will make sure that landlords comply with their obligations to supply copies of EICR as follows:
- Existing tenants of the property will receive a copy within 28 days after testing and inspection.
- New tenants will receive a copy of EICR before they occupy the premises. Similarly, any prospective tenants will receive a copy within 28 days of the relevant request.
- The local housing authority will receive a copy of the EICR within seven days of the written request in that respect.
- The electrician contracted for the next EICR inspection. Landlords must retain a copy of the report to provide background to the electrician before the next inspection and test.
Where the landlord fails to observe one or more of its EICR obligations, the local authority will serve a remedial notice. The landlord will have 28 days to take action. Otherwise, the local authority may arrange for remedial works to be performed and for the cost to be recovered from the landlord. In addition, they can impose a financial penalty of up to £30,000.
If you are a Stratford private landlord, do not hesitate to contact our skilled Stratford estate agents here to help you swiftly navigate these EICR legal requirements.
