Landlords must carry out an EICR before 1st April 2021
New regulations state that an EICR certificate is mandatory for all rented properties in England from 1 April 2021. Here’s what this means for landlords
What is the EICR?
Section 3.1.c of the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector
(England) Regulations 2020 states that landlords must have a valid EICR for all rental properties prior to April 2021.
An Electrical Inspection Condition Report (EICR) is a certificate that shows that all electrical installations in a property (such as light fixtures and electrical sockets) are safe to use by tenants. The certificate lasts for five years.
Landlords now have a legal obligation to have an EICR in place. They will need to supply a copy to the tenant within 28 days of the inspection, and also be able to provide this to the managing agent or local authority within 30 days if requested.
What’s the penalty for not having an EICR?
Landlords who fail to carry out an EICR (and any work it recommends) will face a fine of up to £30,000. Under the Housing Act 2004, local authorities are responsible for enforcing these rules.
Local authorities can serve landlords with a notice of remedial action if repairs and improvements recommended in the report aren’t made. Landlords will have 28 days from receiving the notice to have the work undertaken. If the notice is urgent, a shorter timeframe may be given.
