Electrical Safety Certificates for Landlords

Electrical Installation Condition Report

Getting a periodic inspection of your electrical installations via an Electric Installation Condition Report is a legal requirement in England and Scotland.

Your EICR will be carried out by a registered electrician. The inspection will check the condition of your property’s wiring, look for wear & tear and see if your property’s electrical installations pose any shock or fire hazards. You will then receive a certificate (EICR) from the electrician.

• How Often Do I Need to Carry Out a Condition Report?

  From 1st April 2021 all tenancies, regardless of start date, will need to ensure that they have a valid EICR from within the last five years.

• What are the requirements in Wales and Northern Ireland?

  As a landlord, it is your legal duty to ensure all electrical equipment in your property is safe and maintained throughout the whole tenancy. This responsibility covers light fixtures and plugs, as well as internal wiring.

  An EICR is legally required in England, Scotland and Wales. In Northern Ireland, it is still the recommended method to ensure electrical equipment and wiring is safe. Failure to ensure safe electrics can and will result in prosecution for landlords without evidence of checks taking place.

  All ongoing and new occupation contracts in Wales require a valid EICR as per The Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016.

  All ongoing and new occupation contracts in Wales require a valid EICR as per The Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016.

• What are the requirements in Houses with Multiple Occupancy (HMOs)?

  If you are the landlord of an HMO, then you must carry out an Electrical Installation Condition Report every five years in the UK. This will reveal any defective electrical work, identify fire hazards and check if any circuits are overloaded and dangerous.

• What are the consequences of not having electrical certificates?

  Failure to provide safely installed and maintained electrical appliances can lead to prosecution, property insurance may be invalidated, evictions won't be possible, fines of £5,000 per item may be applied, and in serious cases imprisonment and manslaughter charges may result in the event of deaths caused by faulty systems.

  It is essential all landlords get proper certification for their properties.

• Product Breakdown

  Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) Fixed Wire Testing	Starting from £159
  Required every 5 years
  Testing fuses & circuit breakers Checking fuse or circuit breaker ratings Also known as RCDs / RCBOs Testing
  Additional Bedroom Surplus	+ £10 per bedroom
  Full comprehensive quotation for any remedial works, if required - Failed circuits are retested at time of remedial works taking place
  Up to 8 circuits included - Most residential properties have fewer than 8 circuits - Failed circuits are retested at time of remedial works taking place - Additional circuits (over 8) will be charged at £15.
  1 Fuse Board Included Generally properties have a single fuse board Very large properties may have two Our engineer will charge for this if needed at £60 per additional fuse board.
  Digitally Accessible Certificate of Electrical Safety
  Engineer compliant to carry out work in accordance with: - BS 7671 requirements for electrical installations - IEE wiring regulations seventeenth edition - Health & Safety at work Act 1974 - Health & Safety at work regulations 1999 - Provisions and use of work equipment regulations 1998 - Electricity at work regulations 1989 - Testing completed by fully qualified City & Guilds engineers
  Booking Availability Engineers normally work 8am-6pm Evenings & Saturdays possible depending on availability. If engineer not available, full refund provided.	Monday - Friday (Time of inspection will be confirmed after booking)
  Lead Time	Available with 5 days notice

  Failure to provide safely installed and maintained electrical appliances can lead to prosecution, property insurance may be invalidated, fines of £5,000 per item may be applied, and in serious cases imprisonment and manslaughter charges may result in the event of deaths caused by faulty systems.

About PAT Testing

Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) is the checking of the safety of portable (as opposed to fixed) electrical appliances in your property. Confusingly, portable appliances include stationary equipment like fridges and washing machines, as well as things like TVs, kettles and space heaters.

Getting these appliance tested with a PAT is a great way to ensure and prove their safety, allowing you to efficiently fulfil your duties as a landlord.

• How Often Do I Need to Inspect my Portable Electrical Appliances?

  As a landlord, your duty is to ensure the safety of the electrical appliances in your property. Having a PAT test carried out is a great way to meet your legal obligations and keep your tenants safe.

  From a practical point of view, different appliances need testing in accordance with their risk of breaking. High-use, highly portable appliances like toasters are far more likely to be damaged in everyday use than a stationary washing machine, meaning a landlord might responsibly have the former tested every two years, but the latter every four years.

• Do you need PAT Testing for Houses with Multiple Occupancy (HMOs)?

  As a minimum, you will need to have the fixed wiring tested at least every five years - see further below. You should also check whether different licensing requirements apply for landlords of HMOs in your area.

• Product Breakdown

  OpenRent PAT Testing	£69
  Up To 10 Electrical Appliances Included
  Additional appliances (over 10) surplus	+ £2 per appliance
  FREE plug and fuse replacements
  Minor faults corrected and appliance retested
  Digitally Accessible Certificate of Electrical Safety
  Engineer compliant to carry out work in accordance with: - BS 7671 requirements for electrical installations - IEE wiring regulations eighteenth edition - Health & Safety at work Act 1974 - Health & Safety at work regulations 1999 - Provisions and use of work equipment regulations 1998 - Electricity at work regulations 1989 - Testing completed by fully qualified City & Guilds engineers
  Booking Availability Engineers normally work 8am-6pm Evenings & Saturdays possible depending on availability. If engineer not available, full refund provided.	Monday - Friday (Time of inspection will be confirmed after booking)
  Lead Time	Available with 5 days notice