EICR & Landlord Electrical Safety Certificates

What is an EICR?

For Bristol landlords, an Electrical Installation Condition Report, or EICR, is a formal inspection of a property's fixed wiring, consumer unit and electrical installation, carried out to check it remains safe to continue in use. It is not the same as a PAT test, which covers portable appliances, or a gas safety certificate, which covers gas appliances — an EICR looks specifically at the fixed electrical installation buried in the walls, floors and ceilings of the property, along with the consumer unit that protects it.

Since 1 June 2020, landlords in England have had a legal duty under the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector Regulations to have this inspection carried out at least every 5 years, or sooner if an existing report recommends it, and to provide tenants and, on request, the local housing authority with a copy of the satisfactory report. Failing to do so can result in a financial penalty from the local council of up to £30,000, so it's not a certificate landlords can afford to let lapse.

We test every circuit, check earthing and bonding, inspect the consumer unit and all visible accessories, and confirm RCD protection is present and functioning where it should be. At the end of the visit we issue a report classifying any issues found — from minor observations through to items requiring immediate attention — written in plain English rather than just a list of codes, so you understand exactly what, if anything, needs doing next.

Who needs an EICR

Every landlord letting a residential property in England needs a valid EICR, whether it's a single buy-to-let flat, a family house, or a room in a shared house. The report must be renewed at least every 5 years, and a fresh EICR is also required at the start of a new tenancy if the existing report is due to expire, or if there's been significant electrical work carried out since the last inspection. Letting agents managing properties on a landlord's behalf are increasingly asking for evidence of a current EICR before they'll take on a property, since it protects them as well as the property owner.

What's included

• Full visual & dead/live testing of the electrical installation
• Consumer unit, RCD protection & earthing checks
• Clear classification codes (C1/C2/C3/FI) explained in plain English
• Digital report suitable for tenants & local authority requests
• Renewal reminder ahead of your next 5-year deadline

Our process on the day

We'll agree access with you or your tenant directly, so there's no back-and-forth chasing keys. A typical inspection takes between one and three hours depending on the size of the property and number of circuits, and we work around the tenant wherever possible rather than asking them to be out of the house all day. Power will need to be switched off briefly during dead testing, which we'll flag in advance so it doesn't come as a surprise. Once testing is complete, we'll talk you through anything found before we leave, rather than leaving you to interpret a report cold days later.

If the report isn't satisfactory

Landlords must carry out further investigative or remedial work within 28 days of an unsatisfactory report — or sooner, if the report says the work is urgent — and confirm this in writing to tenants. We can quote for and complete any remedial work on the spot, then issue a follow-up EICR to close it out, so you're not left trying to coordinate two separate contractors against a legal deadline.

Pricing

EICR pricing depends on the property's size, number of circuits, and consumer unit type, so we always confirm a fixed price before booking rather than an hourly rate that can creep. Multi-property landlords and portfolios get a per-property discount when several EICRs are booked together — worth asking about if you're renewing several certificates around the same time of year.

Frequently asked questions