Electrical Installation
Condition Report (EICR)
An EICR certificate is the gold standard in electrical safety. Fully accredited NICEIC/NAPIT engineers produce legally binding electrical installation condition reports for London landlords and home buyers.
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Your EICR Certificate Guide
Everything a London landlord or homeowner needs to know about the EICR certificate, in the order people usually ask it. Jump straight to the part you need.
- What is an EICR certificate?
- Why your property needs one
- The law and your legal duties
- Deadlines you have to hit
- Penalties for not having one
- Who needs an EICR certificate?
- HMOs, commercial and mixed use
- How it fits with your other checks
- Preparing for the inspection
- How to read your EICR certificate
- What happens if it fails
- Remedial work and re-certification
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Simple, All Inclusive EICR Certificate Pricing
Every EICR certificate price below includes VAT. No hidden charges for congestion zone or parking.
| Property Size | Price (Inc VAT) | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Studio Bedroom | £64.99 | |
| 1-3 Bedrooms | £89.99 | |
| 4 Bedrooms | £99.99 | |
| 5 Bedrooms | £129.99 | |
| Commercial EICR | From £150.00 |
What is an EICR Certificate?
An EICR certificate — the document produced by an Electrical Installation Condition Report — is essentially an MOT for your property’s electrics. It is an in-depth inspection to confirm that your electrical installation meets the safety standards of the BS 7671 Wiring Regulations.
Since 2020, landlords in England have been legally obliged to obtain a satisfactory EICR certificate at least every 5 years. Failure to comply can result in fines of up to £30,000 from the local authority.
The inspection covers the fixed wiring of the building: the consumer unit, the circuits buried in the walls, the earthing and bonding, and the accessories you use every day. Anything that falls short of the standard is written up against a classification code, and those codes decide whether the report is Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory.
An EICR certificate is not a decorative piece of paper. It is the evidence a council, an insurer or a buyer’s solicitor asks for when they want proof that the installation was safe on the day it was inspected. Independent advice on the standards themselves is published by Electrical Safety First, the UK charity for electrical safety.
Consumer Unit
We check fuses, RCD protection, and labels.
Sockets & Switches
Checking for damage, overheating, or loose connections.
Wiring Condition
Testing insulation resistance and polarity hidden in walls.
Earthing & Bonding
Ensuring gas and water pipes are correctly bonded.
Key Information
-
01
Valid For
5 Years (or until change of tenancy if recommended).
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02
Duration
1-4 hours depending on property size.
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03
Results
Satisfactory (Pass) or Unsatisfactory (Fail).
Did you know?
Landlords must supply a copy of the EICR certificate to new tenants before they move in, and to existing tenants within 28 days of the inspection.
Why Does My Property Need An EICR?
EICR, electrical safety certificate or electrical certificate?
These all describe the same document. An EICR is the formal name for the report a qualified electrician produces after inspecting and testing a property’s fixed wiring. Landlords, agents and lenders often ask for an electrical safety certificate, an electrical certificate, a landlord electrical certificate or a periodic electrical inspection. If someone has asked you for any of those, an EICR is what you need.
How much does an EICR cost in London?
Our EICR cost in London starts at £64.99 for a studio and is fixed by property size, so the price you see is the price you pay. The full cost of an EICR for larger homes is listed in the pricing table above, and every quote includes the inspection, the testing and your certificate. There are no call-out fees and no charge for the report itself.
We cover north London, south London, east London, west London and central London, so if you have been searching for an EICR near me, we can usually attend within a few working days. Book online or call the office and we will confirm a slot.
The Inspection Process
We've optimized our workflow to minimize disruption while maximizing safety.
Engineer Arrival
Our accredited engineer arrives on time, introduces themselves, and requests access to the consumer unit (fuse box).
Dead Testing
Power is turned off. We perform continuity and insulation resistance tests on all circuits to check wiring health.
Live Testing
Power is restored. We test RCD trip times and earth fault loop impedance to ensure protection devices work.
Certification
Results are uploaded from site. You receive your legally binding digital EICR certificate by email within 24 hours.
Why Does My Property Need an EICR Certificate?
An EICR certificate protects the safety of your tenants and the value of your property. Electrical installations deteriorate with wear and tear, corrosion and ageing components, and without regular inspection dangerous faults go unnoticed until they cause a fire or an electric shock.
Beyond safety it is a strict legal requirement for landlords in the Private Rented Sector. The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 require every electrical installation to be inspected and tested by a qualified person at least every 5 years. Failure to comply carries severe financial penalties.
Most buildings insurance policies also depend on it. After an electrical fire an insurer may refuse to pay out if you cannot prove the system was maintained in a safe condition. A current EICR certificate is that proof, and it is the cheapest part of the whole conversation.
Age is usually the deciding factor. Rewireable fuses, rubber or fabric insulated cable, and a complete absence of RCD protection all point to an installation that has never been assessed against a modern standard, and London’s older housing stock is full of them. An EICR certificate turns that uncertainty into a written, prioritised list of work.
There is a tenant-relations argument too. Handing over a satisfactory EICR certificate at the start of a tenancy shows a renter the property is properly looked after, and it heads off the disputes that begin with a tripping circuit and end with a complaint to the council.
EICR Certificate Law: What Landlords in England Must Do
The 2020 Regulations behind your EICR certificate
The rules that make an EICR certificate compulsory for private landlords are set out in the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020. They applied to new tenancies from 1 July 2020 and to all existing tenancies in England from 1 April 2021, so every privately rented home in London now sits inside their scope.
The duty itself is short. National standards for electrical safety — the eighteenth edition of the BS 7671 Wiring Regulations — must be met; the installation must be inspected and tested by a qualified and competent person at least every five years; and the landlord must obtain a written report of the results. That written report is what everyone means by the phrase EICR.
The government’s own explanation of those duties, written for landlords, tenants and local authorities, is published as guidance on GOV.UK. It is worth ten minutes of any landlord’s time before a first inspection.
EICR certificate deadlines you have to hit
The Regulations attach a specific timetable to the report. Most of the penalties landlords receive come from missing these dates rather than from failing the inspection itself.
- 28 days to existing tenants. A copy of the report must reach every existing tenant within 28 days of the inspection.
- Before occupation for new tenants. A new tenant must receive the report before moving in, and a prospective tenant who asks for it must receive it within 28 days of the request.
- 7 days to the local authority. If the local housing authority requests a copy, you have 7 days to supply it.
- 28 days for remedial work. Where the report requires further investigative or remedial work, it must be completed within 28 days, or sooner if the report specifies a shorter period.
- Keep it until the next inspection. You must retain the report until the next inspection is due and hand it to the electrician who carries that one out.
What happens if you have no valid report
Local authorities enforce the Regulations. Where a council is satisfied that a landlord has breached a duty it may impose a financial penalty of up to £30,000, and it can arrange remedial work itself and recover the cost from the landlord.
The commercial cost lands sooner than the legal one. Managing agents will not normally market a property without a satisfactory report on file, insurers ask for it after an electrical incident, and a missing report is exactly the kind of detail that stalls a sale at the enquiries stage. Booking the inspection early is far cheaper than explaining its absence later.
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Understanding Your EICR Report Codes
Every observation is classified with one of the codes below. Any C1, C2 or FI observation makes the EICR report "Unsatisfactory".
Danger Present
Risk of injury. Immediate remedial action is required. We may need to switch off the circuit immediately.
Potentially Dangerous
Urgent remedial action required. While not immediately dangerous, it could become so if a fault occurs.
Improvement Recommended
The installation doesn't comply with the latest regulations but isn't dangerous. Improvement is optional.
What is Tested During an EICR Inspection?
1. Consumer Unit (Fuse Box)
The consumer unit is the heart of your electrical system. We inspect it for accessibility, secure mounting, and correct labeling. Crucially, we test the internal components—MCBs (Miniature Circuit Breakers) and RCDs (Residual Current Devices)—to ensure they trip within the specific millisecond timeframes required by safety regulations.
2. Hidden Wiring
Faults often lie deep within walls or under floorboards where cables cannot be seen. We use specialized testing equipment to perform Insulation Resistance tests (checking if the wire coating has degraded) and Continuity tests (ensuring there are no breaks in the circuit ring).
3. Earthing & Bonding
Earthing is your primary defense against electric shock. We verify that the main earth terminal is connected to the provider’s supply. We also inspect the Main Protective Bonding conductors that connect your gas and water pipes to the earth, preventing metal pipework from becoming live during a fault.
4. Sockets, Switches & Fixtures
We conduct a visual and physical inspection of a percentage of accessories (sockets, light switches, pendant fittings). We look for cracks, thermal damage (signs of overheating), loose connections, and ensure correct polarity. We also check that sockets are mounted at safe distances from water sources.
5. Residual Current Devices (RCDs)
RCDs are life-saving devices designed to prevent you from getting a fatal electric shock if you touch something live. Under the latest BS 7671 regulations, most circuits in a residential property require RCD protection. We simulate earth faults to guarantee these devices cut the power instantly.
6. Special Locations
Bathrooms and shower rooms are considered high-risk areas. We check that all light fittings and extractor fans have the correct IP Rating (Ingress Protection) to prevent water entry. We also verify that no 230v sockets are installed within hazardous zones near baths or showers.
7. Circuit Charts & Labelling
Every circuit should be identified at the consumer unit so power can be isolated safely in an emergency. We check that the circuit chart matches reality, that warning and periodic inspection notices are present and legible, and that the date of this inspection is recorded where the next engineer will look for it.
8. The EICR Documentation
The inspection ends in paperwork, not opinion. Every reading is recorded on the schedules of test results, every observation is given a classification code, and the complete file is issued as your EICR certificate within 24 hours. Nothing important is left as a verbal note on the day.
Who Needs an report?
Landlords, homeowners, buyers and sellers
For a private landlord in England the answer is simple: you need a valid inspection for every tenanted property, renewed at least every five years. That covers flats, houses, converted maisonettes and purpose-built blocks, whether you manage them yourself or through an agent.
Homeowners are not covered by the 2020 Regulations, but an electrical installation condition report is still the only reliable way to learn the state of wiring you cannot see. The widely used recommendation is an inspection at least every ten years for an owner-occupied home, and sooner for an older installation or one that has been altered.
Buyers and sellers use the document differently again. A recent electrical safety report answers the electrical questions on a survey before they turn into a renegotiation, and a seller who can produce one usually keeps control of the timetable.
HMOs, commercial units and mixed-use buildings
Houses in multiple occupation have been subject to five-yearly electrical inspection for longer than ordinary rentals, and HMO licence conditions frequently ask for the report by name. If you run an HMO in London, keep the report with the licence paperwork rather than buried in a property file.
Commercial premises are inspected against the same BS 7671 standard, but the interval is set by the use of the building and its risk rather than by a fixed five-year rule, and it is usually shorter. Our commercial EICR service covers shops, offices, restaurants and industrial units across London from £150.00.
Mixed-use buildings often need both: one report for the residential flats and another for the commercial ground floor. If you are not sure how your building should be split, talk to us before you book and we will scope it properly.
How an EICR report fits with your other safety checks
The condition report covers the fixed installation only — the wiring, the consumer unit, the sockets and the light fittings that form part of the building. It does not cover appliances, gas or fire precautions, each of which has its own regime and its own paperwork.
- PAT testing checks the movable appliances you supply with the property: kettles, fridges, washing machines and lamps.
- Gas Safety Certificate (CP12) is an annual check of gas appliances and flues, and is a separate legal duty.
- Fire risk assessment covers the fire precautions in the building and is expected for HMOs and common parts.
- Energy Performance Certificate rates the energy efficiency of the property and is needed before you let or sell it.
Most London landlords find it cheaper and far less disruptive to bundle these visits into one appointment. You can see everything we cover on the services page, or compare fixed prices on the pricing page.
Preparing For and Reading Your EICR
Preparing for your EICR inspection
A little preparation shortens the visit and reduces the chance of a code being raised for something the engineer simply could not reach. None of it is difficult.
- Clear the consumer unit. Fuse boards hide in cupboards behind coats, boxes and vacuum cleaners. The engineer needs to stand in front of it and work.
- Open up every room. Testing samples accessories throughout the property, including lofts, cellars and any outbuilding on the same supply.
- Warn the occupants. The power goes off during dead testing. Tenants working from home appreciate an hour’s notice, and so do freezers, fish tanks and medical equipment.
- Find the last report. The previous report and any installation certificates for recent work tell the engineer what has changed and can save real time on site.
- Mention the quirks. A socket that has never worked or a light that flickers is useful information, not an embarrassment.
If you cannot be there, we collect keys from agents right across London at no extra charge — just tell us when you book the inspection.
How to read your EICR
Your report arrives as a digital document within 24 hours of the visit. The front sheet carries the overall assessment — Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory — together with the address, the date, the details of the qualified person who carried out the work and the recommended date of the next inspection.
Behind that sit the observations. Each one is written against a classification code: C1 for danger present, C2 for potentially dangerous, C3 for improvement recommended, and FI where further investigation is required without delay. A report is Unsatisfactory if it contains any C1, C2 or FI observation; C3 observations on their own do not fail the installation.
The schedules at the back list every circuit tested and every reading taken. They look technical, because they are, but they are also the part the next electrician will want to see in five years’ time — which is precisely why the Regulations ask you to keep the electrical safety report until the following inspection.
If anything in the report is unclear, call the engineer who wrote it. A good electrical installation condition report can always be explained in plain English, and we are happy to walk you through yours line by line.
What Happens If My EICR report Fails?
It is not unusual for an EICR to come back as ‘Unsatisfactory’, particularly in older properties or those that have not been maintained. An Unsatisfactory result means our engineer recorded at least one C1 (Danger Present), C2 (Potentially Dangerous) or FI (Further Investigation) observation during the inspection.
A failed report is not a disaster and it is not a fine. It is a to-do list with a deadline attached, and the great majority of London properties that fail are back to Satisfactory inside a fortnight.
Your Legal Obligations
Under the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020, if your report says that further investigative or remedial work is required, you have a legal duty to have that work carried out by a qualified person within 28 days — or sooner where the report specifies a shorter period because of imminent danger.
Once the work is finished you must obtain written confirmation from the electrician (normally an Electrical Installation Certificate or a Minor Works Certificate) proving the safety standards are now met. That confirmation, together with the original EICR, then goes to your tenants and to the local authority within 28 days of the work being completed.
Our Remedial Process
If your property fails the inspection with Landlord Safety Checks we give you a straight path back to compliance. We do not hand you a failed report and walk away.
- Itemized Quote: a transparent, fixed-price quote to rectify the C1, C2 and FI observations identified.
- Priority Booking: remedial works are prioritised so you comfortably meet the 28-day legal deadline.
- Certification: on completion we issue the confirmation documents free of charge. You generally do not need to pay for a brand new EICR if the repairs are carried out by us or verified correctly.
Tenants stay informed throughout. Where a C1 is found the circuit is made safe before we leave the property, so nobody is left living with a known danger while the paperwork catches up.
Common Questions About EICR Certificates
Clear answers to help you understand your legal obligations and the inspection process.
For rental properties an inspection is required at least every 5 years, and at the start of a new tenancy if the existing report has expired. For owner-occupied homes an inspection every 10 years is the widely used recommendation.
If your report comes back 'Unsatisfactory' (a C1, C2 or FI observation), you are legally required to have the remedial work carried out within 28 days to make the property safe. We provide a competitive fixed-price quote for any repairs needed.
No. An EICR checks the fixed wiring of the building (sockets, lights, fuse box, cabling). PAT testing (Portable Appliance Testing) specifically checks movable electrical items like kettles, toasters, and washing machines.
If the existing report is less than 5 years old and was rated 'Satisfactory' you can usually rely on it for a new tenancy. We still recommend a visual check between tenancies to confirm nothing has been damaged.
It depends on the property size. A studio or 1-bed flat typically takes 1-2 hours, while a larger 3-4 bed house can take 3-4 hours. We need access to all rooms and the fuse board.
Our prices are fixed and include VAT: £64.99 for a studio, £89.99 for 1-3 bedrooms, £99.99 for 4 bedrooms and £129.99 for 5 bedrooms. A commercial EICR starts from £150.00. There are no congestion or parking surcharges.
Results are uploaded from site and your digital report is emailed within 24 hours of the inspection. Same-day appointments are available across London, so a job booked in the morning is normally certified by the next day.
The Regulations require a qualified and competent person. In practice that means an electrician registered with a scheme such as NICEIC or NAPIT and working to the BS 7671 Wiring Regulations. Every engineer we send is registered and insured.
In everyday use, yes. The inspection produces a document called an Electrical Installation Condition Report, and landlords, agents and councils all refer to that document as the report. Asking for either gets you the same report.
A brand-new installation is signed off with an Electrical Installation Certificate when it is completed. The first EICR is then due within five years of that date, in line with the maximum interval set by the 2020 Regulations.
We cover all 32 London boroughs and the area inside the M25, from Ilford and Barking in the east to Hounslow and Hillingdon in the west. Key collection from agents is included, so you do not have to attend.
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Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) Service Areas in London
We carry out EICR inspections across all 32 London boroughs, including North London, East London, South London, West London and the central districts. Fast dispatch for: