EICR Certificate: What It Is, Who Needs One, and What It Costs

An EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report) is a qualified electrician's formal inspection of a property's fixed wiring: the consumer unit, circuits, sockets and switches, not the appliances plugged into them. For rented homes in England it is a legal requirement at least every five years, and for homeowners it is the standard way to check ageing wiring, typically when buying an older property or after major work.

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Who must have one

Landlords in England: every private tenancy has needed a valid EICR since April 2021, renewed at least every five years or sooner if the report says so. You must give the report to existing tenants within 28 days of the inspection, to new tenants before they move in, and to the council within 7 days if it asks. Councils can fine up to £30,000 per breach, and the certificate sits alongside gas safety and the EPC in the paperwork every landlord must hold: the full set is in our landlord compliance checklist.

Homeowners: no legal requirement, but an EICR is the honest answer to "is this wiring okay?" when buying an older home (surveyors regularly recommend one), after a flood, or when a house has not been inspected in decades. Scotland and Wales have their own rental rules with the same five-year rhythm.

What it costs

£125 to £300 for most homes, driven by the number of circuits rather than rooms: a one-bed flat with a modern consumer unit sits at the bottom, a large house with several boards at the top. Two pricing traps:

• Suspiciously cheap EICRs (£60-80) sometimes make their money on the remedial work they then "find". A fair inspection price with a clear day rate for any follow-up work is the better structure.
• Remedial work is a separate job. The EICR is the diagnosis. If it finds C1 or C2 faults, fixing them is quoted separately, and you are free to use a different electrician for the fix.

You can book an EICR through Energy Performance Certificates UK, which arranges qualified electricians nationally alongside its EPC and gas safety work (4.8/5 on Trustpilot from 25,000+ reviews). We may earn a commission if you book through this link, at no extra cost to you.

Reading the report: the codes that matter

The report classifies everything it finds:

• C1: danger present. Risk of injury; the electrician should make it safe before leaving.
• C2: potentially dangerous. Must be fixed for the report to be satisfactory.
• C3: improvement recommended. Not a fail: the installation does not meet current standards but is not dangerous. C3-only reports are satisfactory.
• FI: further investigation needed; treated like a C2 until resolved.

A report is either satisfactory or unsatisfactory. Unsatisfactory means C1, C2 or FI items exist, and landlords have 28 days (or less if the report says so) to complete the remedial work and get written confirmation.

EICR vs EIC vs gas safety

• An EIC (Electrical Installation Certificate) is issued for new electrical work when it is done: it certifies the work, not the whole installation. An EICR inspects the existing installation as found.
• The Gas Safety Record (CP12) is the annual gas equivalent for landlords: different trade, different certificate, and the renewal clocks run on different schedules, which is why they are easiest to track together on the compliance checklist.

Frequently asked questions

How long does an EICR take?

Two to four hours for a typical home: longer for larger properties or where access to the consumer unit and circuits is awkward. Power is switched off circuit by circuit during testing.

How long is an EICR valid?

Up to five years for rentals in England, unless the electrician specifies a shorter interval on the report. For homeowners, five to ten years is the commonly recommended rhythm, with five for older installations.

Does a homebuyer need an EICR?

It is not required to buy, but on homes more than 25 years old, or where the survey flags dated wiring, it is cheap certainty against a five-figure rewiring surprise. Ask for one before exchange, or price the risk into your offer.

Is an EICR the same as a landlord electrical safety certificate?

Yes: "landlord electrical safety certificate" is the informal name for the EICR required in the private rented sector. There is no separate document.

General information, not legal or financial advice. Requirements described are for England; Scotland and Wales have parallel rules with their own details.