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UK landlord compliance

How often does an EICR need renewing?

Every 5 years for residential lets in England — or sooner if the report says so. C1 and C2 codes must be fixed within 28 days. Civil penalties up to £30,000 per breach if missed.

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The short answer

An EICR is mandatory for all residential lets in England since June 2020. The standard renewal cycle is every 5 yearsfrom the inspection date — unless the report itself specifies a shorter interval, which happens for older or compromised installations.

If the report includes any C1 or C2 codes, the report is unsatisfactory and the issues must be fixed within 28 days(or sooner if the report says). C3 codes are advisory and don’t invalidate the certificate.

You must give the tenant a copy of the EICR within 28 days of receiving it (and before the start of a new tenancy). Missing the cycle is a civil offence with penalties up to £30,000 per breach.

The cycle

When the 5-year clock runs out

The 5-year cycle runs from the inspection date, not the tenancy start date. Changing tenants doesn’t reset it. If an EICR is dated 12 May 2026, the next one is due by 11 May 2031, whoever happens to be living there.

Some reports specify a shorter interval. If your electrician writes “next inspection recommended within 1 year” on the certificate, that’s the binding renewal date — not the 5-year default. Read the report when it lands; don’t just file it.

The earliest sensible reminder for a 5-year EICR is 90 days before expiry. Good electricians book up; in some parts of the country, finding a same-week slot is hard.

Codes you’ll see

C1, C2, C3 — what each one means

  • C1

    Danger present

    Immediate remedial action required. Exposed live conductors, broken consumer unit, similar. The installation is unsafe to continue using until fixed.

  • C2

    Potentially dangerous

    Urgent remedial action required. Faults that could become C1 if conditions change — missing earth bonding, faulty RCD, accessible live parts in fittings.

  • C3

    Improvement recommended

    Advisory only. The installation is safe to use but would benefit from an upgrade. C3-only reports are still satisfactory and don’t need immediate work.

An overall verdict of Unsatisfactory means at least one C1 or C2 code. Satisfactory means C3 codes only (or no codes at all). A satisfactory report with C3 advisories is a valid 5-year EICR.

The 28-day rule

The clock that starts when C1 or C2 lands

When an EICR identifies C1 or C2 codes, you have 28 days from receiving the report (or any shorter period the report specifies) to:

  • Have the remedial work done by a competent electrician.
  • Obtain written confirmation from the electrician that the work brings the installation into compliance.
  • Send the written confirmation to the tenant and (in some councils) the local authority.

Civil penalties up to £30,000 per breach if you don’t. If the work genuinely can’t be done in 28 days (waiting for parts, structural access required), document the reason — courts have some sympathy for evidenced delays, none for “forgot about it”.

Common questions

Questions, answered

How often does an EICR need renewing for a UK rental property?+
Every 5 yearsfor residential rentals in England, or sooner if an EICR is issued with a recommendation for an earlier re-test (sometimes 1, 2, or 3 years for older installations). A change of tenancy doesn’t reset the cycle — the 5-year clock runs from the inspection date.
What do the C1, C2, and C3 codes mean?+
C1: danger present, requires immediate remedial action. C2: potentially dangerous, requires urgent remedial action. C3: improvement recommended but not strictly required. C1 and C2 codes mean the report is unsatisfactory and the issues must be fixed within 28 days (or sooner if the report specifies). C3 codes are advisory.
Who can issue an EICR?+
A qualified and competent electrician. In practice, that means someone registered with one of the recognised electrical schemes (NICEIC, NAPIT, ECA, etc.) and confident with the latest BS 7671 wiring regulations. The landlord has a duty to verify competence — cheapest quote isn’t always the right one if the inspector misses category-1 hazards.
Do I need PAT testing too?+
PAT (Portable Appliance Testing) is for portable appliances supplied by the landlord (white goods, lamps, kettles in a serviced let). It is not legally requiredin England, but it’s good practice and your insurer may expect it. The EICR covers the fixed electrical installation only — the wiring, consumer unit, sockets, light fittings — not the appliances plugged into it.
What happens if I miss the EICR deadline?+
Civil penalties up to £30,000 per breach. Local authorities enforce. The bigger commercial risk is that an out-of-date EICR can also invalidate a Section 21 notice if challenged, leaving you unable to recover possession quickly. Most landlords don’t miss out of negligence — they miss because they don’t track the renewal date in one place.

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