Electrical safety is one of the clearest, most testable duties a landlord has. There is a named regulation, a fixed inspection cycle, a defined report, and firm timescales for fixing faults. Getting it right is straightforward once you know the moving parts. This guide covers the electrical inspection (the EICR), then the closely related smoke and carbon monoxide alarm rules that sit alongside it.
The EICR: a five-yearly electrical inspection
The headline rule comes from the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020. It requires landlords to make sure the fixed electrical installation in a rented home - the wiring, sockets, consumer unit (fuse board), light fittings and other hard-wired parts - is inspected and tested at least every five years.
The inspection produces an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR). This is the document that proves the installation was checked and records its condition. An inspection may set a shorter interval than five years if the inspector judges it necessary, and you should follow whatever date the report specifies. The official overview for landlords is on gov.uk: Electrical safety standards in the private rented sector: guidance for landlords, tenants and local authorities.
These rules apply to most private tenancies of residential premises in England. If you are not sure whether a particular let is in scope - for example a licensed HMO, a lodger arrangement, or social housing - check the scope section of the gov.uk guidance above, because some tenancy types are treated differently.
Who can carry out the inspection
The inspection and test must be done by a qualified and competent person. In practice that means an electrician with the right qualifications and experience to inspect and test fixed installations. The government guidance does not point to a single mandatory register, but it does suggest landlords check that the person is a member of a competent person scheme, or ask for evidence of their qualifications, insurance and experience before booking.
A useful starting point is the registers run by the recognised electrical competent person schemes, signposted from gov.uk: find an electrician registered with a competent person scheme. If you are unsure whether a contractor is suitably qualified for the inspection, ask to see their qualifications and check the current gov.uk guidance on what counts as competent.
Giving the report to your tenants and the council
An EICR is only useful if the right people receive it. Under the 2020 Regulations the landlord must supply a copy of the report to certain people within set timescales. Always confirm the exact wording in the current gov.uk guidance, but the broad pattern is:
- Existing tenants - a copy of the report is given within a set number of days of the inspection.
- New tenants - a copy is provided before they move in.
- Prospective tenants - if someone asks to see it before deciding, you supply it within a short window of the request.
- The local authority - if the council requests a copy, you provide it within a set number of days.
Keeping a dated copy of every report, and a note of when and how you sent it to each tenant, is the simplest way to show you have met this duty if it is ever questioned. The exact day-counts are set out in the gov.uk landlord guidance - check it for the current figures rather than relying on memory.
What happens when the report finds a problem
An EICR does not just pass or fail in a vague sense. Each observation is given a coded classification. The codes you are most likely to see are:
| Code | What it means | Action |
|---|---|---|
| C1 | Danger present - risk of injury, immediate action needed. | Remedial work required. |
| C2 | Potentially dangerous - urgent remedial work needed. | Remedial work required. |
| FI | Further investigation required. | Investigation required. |
| C3 | Improvement recommended. | Not a failure - work is advisory, not mandatory. |
Where the report identifies remedial or further investigative work (the C1, C2 or FI codes), the Regulations require the landlord to have that work carried out by a qualified person within 28 days, or within any shorter period the report specifies. You then need written confirmation from the electrician that the work has been done and that the installation now meets the required standard, and you supply that confirmation to your tenant (and to the council if it asked for the original report). A C3 observation is an improvement recommendation only - worth doing, but not a breach if you do not.
The penalties for not meeting the electrical safety duties can be significant - local authorities can impose financial penalties for breaches. The current maximum and the enforcement process are set out in the gov.uk guidance; check it for the current figure rather than quoting an old number.
A note on portable appliances
The EICR covers the fixed installation. It does not cover free-standing appliances you provide, such as a washing machine, fridge or microwave. There is no fixed legal requirement for annual PAT testing of every landlord-supplied appliance, but you do have a general duty to make sure any electrical appliances you provide are safe. Keeping appliances in good order and retaining receipts and service records is sensible practice. For the general consumer position on electrical safety, the official guidance hub is gov.uk electrical safety.
Smoke alarms: one on every storey
Electrical safety sits alongside fire and carbon monoxide protection. The rules here come from the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015, as amended in 2022.
The smoke alarm requirement is straightforward: there must be at least one smoke alarm on every storey of the property that is used as living accommodation. The alarms must be working at the start of every new tenancy. The government summary, including what landlords must check and the position on testing, is set out in gov.uk: smoke and carbon monoxide alarms - explanatory booklet for landlords.
Carbon monoxide alarms: rooms with a fixed combustion appliance
The 2022 amendment strengthened the carbon monoxide rules. A carbon monoxide alarm must be fitted in any room used as living accommodation that contains a fixed combustion appliance - for example a gas boiler, a wood burner or an open fire. Gas cookers are the usual exception to the fixed-combustion-appliance rule, so confirm the precise scope in the gov.uk booklet linked above before deciding what you need.
Two further points from the 2022 amendment are worth knowing:
- The carbon monoxide requirement now applies across the relevant rented sector, not only to solid-fuel rooms as under the original 2015 rules.
- Where an alarm is reported as faulty during a tenancy, the landlord must repair or replace it. The expected timescale and exact wording are in the gov.uk landlord booklet - check it for the current detail.
How the pieces fit together
It helps to see electrical safety as three linked obligations that run on different clocks:
| Requirement | Cycle | Source |
|---|---|---|
| EICR (fixed electrical installation) | At least every 5 years, or sooner if the report says so | 2020 Regulations |
| Smoke alarm on every storey used as living accommodation | Working at the start of each tenancy | 2015 Regulations (as amended 2022) |
| CO alarm in any room with a fixed combustion appliance | Working at the start of each tenancy; repair or replace if faulty | 2015 Regulations (as amended 2022) |
None of this is onerous once it is set up: book a qualified electrician for the EICR, diarise the renewal date from the report, fit and test the alarms, and keep dated copies of everything you serve on your tenants. If anything on this page is unclear or seems to conflict with advice specific to your situation, the current gov.uk guidance linked throughout is the authoritative source - and where a council operates its own licensing scheme, that council's housing team is the place to confirm any extra local conditions. Always check the current gov.uk guidance for the precise day-counts, codes and penalty figures before you rely on them.
Frequently asked questions
How often does a rented home need an EICR?
At least every five years. The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 require the fixed electrical installation to be inspected and tested on at least a five-year cycle. An inspector can set a shorter interval if they judge it necessary, so always follow the renewal date printed on your most recent report rather than assuming a flat five years.
Who is allowed to carry out the EICR?
A qualified and competent person - in practice, an electrician with the right qualifications and experience to inspect and test fixed installations. The gov.uk guidance suggests checking membership of a recognised competent person scheme or asking for evidence of qualifications, insurance and experience before booking. If you are unsure, ask to see their credentials and check the current gov.uk guidance on what counts as competent.
Do I have to give the EICR to my tenants?
Yes. The 2020 Regulations require you to supply a copy to existing tenants within a set number of days of the inspection, and to new tenants before they move in. Prospective tenants who ask can also request it. If the council requests a copy, you must provide it too. Keep dated records of what you served and when, and check the gov.uk guidance for the exact timescales.
What happens if the EICR finds a fault?
Where the report records remedial or further-investigation work (codes C1, C2 or FI), you must have a qualified person carry it out within 28 days, or sooner if the report specifies. You then get written confirmation the work is complete and the installation meets standard, and supply that to your tenant and any council that requested the report. A C3 code is an advisory improvement, not a required fix.
What are the smoke and carbon monoxide alarm rules?
Under the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015, as amended in 2022, you need at least one smoke alarm on every storey used as living accommodation, and a carbon monoxide alarm in any room used as living accommodation that contains a fixed combustion appliance such as a boiler or wood burner. Alarms must work at the start of each tenancy. Check the gov.uk landlord booklet for full detail.
Does the EICR cover appliances like the washing machine?
No. The EICR covers the fixed installation - wiring, sockets, the consumer unit and hard-wired fittings - not free-standing appliances you supply. There is no fixed legal requirement to PAT-test every landlord-supplied appliance annually, but you do have a general duty to make sure anything electrical you provide is safe. Keeping appliances in good order and retaining service records and receipts is sensible practice.
Related guides
- Gas safety certificates (CP12) for landlords
- UK Lettings Compliance - the Landlord Checklist
- The Renters' Rights Act 2026: what private landlords need to do
- List your rental on Domovita - free for private landlords
General information, not legal advice. This guide explains the rules in plain English and is kept under review, but the law changes and every situation is different. Always check the current position on the official gov.uk pages linked above, and take professional advice - a solicitor, or your local council for licensing questions - before relying on it for a specific decision.