Quick answer
A landlord in England must have the electrical installation inspected by a qualified electrician at least every five years, or sooner if the report says so. The Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) goes to existing tenants within 28 days of the inspection, and to new tenants before they occupy. If the report is unsatisfactory, remedial work must be done within 28 days or the shorter time the report gives.
The three EICR clocks
- The inspection: at least every 5 years, or sooner if the report gives an earlier date.
- The tenant copy: within 28 days of the inspection for existing tenants; before they occupy for new tenants.
- Remedial work: within 28 days of an unsatisfactory report, or the shorter time the report sets.
The five years is a maximum. If the electrician writes an earlier next-inspection date on the report, that date is the one that counts.
Track the report’s own date, not a round five years from the last one.
A worked example
An electrician inspects a flat on 12 October 2026 and the report is satisfactory, with no earlier date given.
- Copy to the existing tenants by 9 November 2026.
- Next inspection due by 12 October 2031.
- A sensible reminder: 60 days before, in August 2031.
If the report had said the next inspection was due in three years, the due date would be October 2029.
If the report is unsatisfactory
The remedial work must be done within 28 days, or within the shorter time the report gives.
Keep the electrician’s written confirmation that the work is done, with its date. Without it, the file shows an unsatisfactory report and nothing after.
Work out your own dates with the free certificate expiry calculator. It covers the Gas Safety record and EPC too.
Who is liable: landlord or agent?
The landlord. Electrical safety is not one of the two duties that can move to an agent. Only Right to Rent and gas safety can, and only in writing.
On a fully managed property the agent usually books the electrician and sends the report. That is doing the task. It does not move the liability. A missing or late report is still the landlord’s problem.
The 28-day copy is the one that slips
Inspections get booked because someone chases the expiry date. The tenant copy is quieter. It is easy to file the report and forget to send it.
Keep a record of when the copy went, how, and to whom. Send it to every tenant named on the tenancy.
EICRs and the PRS Database
The PRS Database opens on 15 December 2026, region by region. Its property entry is expected to cover gas, EICR and EPC details alongside postcode, type, bedrooms and rent.
A portfolio with gaps in its EICR dates will find out at registration. Better to find out now.
EICR checklist for every property
- Date of the last inspection.
- Next due date — from the report if it is earlier than five years.
- Result: satisfactory or unsatisfactory.
- If unsatisfactory: remedial work done, with the date and the electrician’s confirmation.
- Date the copy went to each current tenant, and how.
- For a new tenancy: copy given before the tenant moved in.
EICRs sit alongside gas, EPC, deposit and alarms in the free Renters’ Rights Act compliance checklist.
The rules in one table
| Duty | Deadline | Regulation |
|---|---|---|
| Inspect and test the installation | At least every 5 years, or sooner if the report says so | Reg. 3(1)(b) |
| Copy to existing tenants | Within 28 days of the inspection | Reg. 3(1)(d) |
| Copy to a new tenant | Before they occupy | Reg. 3(3) |
| Copy to the council | Within 7 days of a written request | Reg. 3(1)(e) |
| Remedial or further investigative work | Within 28 days, or the shorter period in the report | Reg. 3(4) |
| Written confirmation of the work | To the tenant and the council within 28 days of completion | Reg. 3(4)(c) |
| Financial penalty for a breach | Up to £40,000 per breach | Reg. 11 |
Decisions before 2026 refer to a £30,000 maximum. The cap in regulation 11 now reads £40,000.
What tribunals decided
| Case | What went wrong | Council | Tribunal |
|---|---|---|---|
| MAN/16UD/HNA/2022/0003 | No evidence the installation had been inspected before the council asked | £1,000 | £750 |
| LON/00BK/HNA/2022/0026 | Unsatisfactory reports at two flats; remedial work done only before the final notice | £5,000 each proposed, cut to £2,000 each | £2,000 each, appeal dismissed |
| CAM/33UE/HNA/2024/0613 | A new report (26 November 2023) was not acted on; a long record of compliance did not help | £5,000 × 2 | £5,000 × 2, confirmed |
| MAN/00EJ/HUA/2025/0001 | Landlord relied on a document that was not a valid EICR | £7,500 | £5,000 |
| CAM/00MD/HNA/2025/0608 | Unsatisfactory report, no remedial work, the property left without power; an older certificate did not relate to the property | £17,600 | £16,500 |
| LON/00AT/HNA/2025/0668 | Two breaches of regulation 3 alongside an ignored improvement notice | £37,000 in total (£6,000 per EICR breach) | £37,000, confirmed |
What the cases teach
- The council has to prove the breach beyond reasonable doubt — but it only needs your file to be empty. Keep the report, the date it reached the tenant and the completion certificate for any remedial work.
- Fixing the fault before the final notice reduced the penalty. It did not remove it.
- An Electrical Installation Certificate for new work, or a minor works certificate, is not an EICR.
- A satisfactory report years ago does not cover a new unsatisfactory one. The 28-day clock starts on each report.
Cases are First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) decisions published on gov.uk. Each turns on its own facts; read the full decision before relying on one.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Where Abide.Rent fits
Certificates in Abide.Rent hold the EICR date, the report’s own next-due date, and the date the tenant was given a copy. The 28-day duty runs from the inspection date. The tenant confirms receipt in their portal, free of charge.
Abide.Rent tracks this for every property you manage. Free for a month, no card.
Not legal advice.
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