Electrical Installation Condition Reports - EICR

From October 2026, the minimum qualifications required to carry out an Electrical Installation Condition Report become formally standardised. To legally conduct an EICR, an electrician must hold all three of the following:

The three qualifications required from October 2026:

1.  Level 3 Diploma in Electrical Installation (2365 or equivalent) - this is the core electrical trade qualification

2.  Inspection and Testing qualification (2391-52 or equivalent) - this is the specific EICR qualification

3.  Current 18th Edition certificate (BS 7671) - confirming the electrician is up to date with current wiring regulations

Electrical Installation Condition Reports (EICR) will become mandatory for all new tenancies in England from 1st July 2020, and for all existing tenancies on 1st April 2021.

From 1st July 2020 Electrical Installation Condition Reports (EICRs) become mandatory in the private rented sector for new and renewed tenancies in England, and for all existing tenancies on 1st April 2021. EICR’s are already a legal requirement in Scotland. They aren’t a legal requirement in Wales yet, although we expect it to follow.

If you create a new tenancy, or renew an existing one, on or after 1st July 2020, you will need a satisfactory EICR. Renewals include tenancies that become statutory periodic (not contractual periodic) at the end of a fixed term on or after 1st July 2020 . All properties in the private rented sector will need an EICR from 1st April 2021.

EICRs now join gas safety certificates  and energy performance certificates  as legally required documents that must be in place before your tenancy starts or is renewed. There are penalties for non-compliance.

EICRs must be renewed every 5 years, unless your electrician states that it needs to be done sooner.

We recommend you have your EICR completed at least 1 month before it’s required. Many properties require remedial work and, as with a gas safety certificate, you cannot move a tenant in until your EICR has a “satisfactory” rating

A Electrical Installation Condition Report EICR is an inspection on the condition of an

existing electrical installation, to identify (in order of priority) any deficiencies against the national 

safety standard for electrical installations.

A Domestic Electrical Installation Condition Report will:

• reveal if any of your electrical circuits or equipment is overloaded

• find any potential electrical shock risks and fire hazards in your electrical installation

• identify any defective DIY electrical work

• highlight any lack of earthing or bonding

Every electrical installation deteriorates with use and age. It is important for the person responsible for

the maintenance of the installation to be sure that the safety of users is not put at risk, and that the

installation continues to be in a safe and serviceable condition. According to Government statistics, 

each year on average 10 people die and about 750 are seriously injured in accidents involving 

unsafe electrical installations in the home or work place.

It is recommended that Electrical Installation Condition Report is carried out at least every:

• 10 years for a domestic installation

• 5  years for Domestic rental property

• 5 years for a commercial installation

• 3 years for caravans

• 1 year for swimming pools

Other instances when a Electrical Installation Condition Report should be carried out are:

• when a property is being prepared to be let

• prior to selling a property or when buying a previously occupied property

The Approved Contractor will check the electrical installation against the requirements of BSi7671 -

Requirements for Electrical Installations ( IEE Wiring Regulations) - as amended, which is the national

safety standard for electrical installations, and contains around 850 Regulations. the EICR

will take into account all relevant circumstances including the following factors: Adequacy of earthing 

and bonding Suitability of the switchgear and controlgear e.g. consumer unit e.g. an old fusebox with

a wooden back, cast iron switches, a haphazard mixture of such equipment is likely to need replacing

Serviceability of equipment e.g. switches, socket-outlets and light fittings e.g.older round pin sockets, 

round light switches and braided flex hanging from ceiling roses to light fittings, black switches,

sockets mounted in skirting boards may require replacing.Type of wiring system and its condition e.g.

cables coated inblack- rubber, black-rubber was phased out in the 1960s or cables coated in lead or 

fabric are even older and may need replacing (modern cables use pvc insulation) Provision of residual

current devices for socket-outlets that may be used to plug in electrical equipment used outdoors

Presence of adequate identification and notices Extent of any wear and tear,damage or other 

deterioration Changes in use of the premises which have led to, or might lead to, deficiencies in the

installation.

ideally to carry out an Electrical Installation Condition Report successfully, complete access to all electrical points are required. 

There may be furniture, appliances etc. restricting access to some electrical points throughout the property.

The EICR does not literally mean that every electrical point, termination switch or socket is inspected. There are clearly laid out limitations to the inspections with regards to the percentage of electrical points inspected and tested.

We aim for 100% external visual inspection of accessible items, 20% internal inspection of accessible items, 100% electrical testing of all circuits

The Procedure

The engineer will need clear access to;

· The consumer unit – Most important that this area is clear, the inspection cannot take place if the engineer cannot see or work on the consumer unit.

· Access to all rooms within the property – We do not expect every room to be empty, but we need to inspect the electrical points within each room. If we cannot gain access it will be marked on the report that there are limitations within certain rooms

· The power to the property will be isolated – If there is a tenant/homeowner present during the inspection they must be advised that, in order the inspection to be carried out safely, the electrical installation will need to be switched off for long periods. This is to protect the tenants and the engineer carrying out the inspection. If the tenant/homeowner expects to be able to work from home without interruption to power and/or internet there is obviously a problem. It is better the tenant/homeowner is fully aware of what is required during the inspection before the engineer arrives

· Tenants/home owner’s safety – During the inspection electrical points will be removed from the wall e.g. a light switch will be removed to inspect electrical terminations and carry out earth and polarity checks. There are a series of “dead” and “live” tests carried out during the inspection. The engineer will be testing each circuit one at a time, inspecting and testing electrical points one at a time, removing points, testing then putting back the electrical points before moving on to another point. Dead tests are completely safe as there is no power at the electrical point. Live tests are potentially dangerous as there will be exposure to live terminals. The engineer is fully trained at working safely with live electrical points and will always inspect and test in a safe manner. Risk assessments are carried out for each property to assess the risks during the inspection.

· If there are lots of people within the property, children or pets the engineer will assess the situation as to whether the inspection can be carried out safely. It is vital that everyone involved – engineer and tenant/home owner is aware of what needs to happen to carry out a safe inspection. If the engineer feels that there is an increased risk of injury the inspection will be stopped and will be re-booked at a time when the inspection can be carried out safely.

· Limitations furniture – The inspection allows for limitations during the inspection. It is obvious that not every single electrical point is available to be inspected e.g. electrical junction boxes under the floor. It is also not expected that the engineer will move furniture such as wardrobes/kitchen appliances such as washing machines to gain access to a socket outlet.

Limitations testing – as with furniture, due to limited access it may limit certain electrical testing such as insulation resistance testing, which sends a test voltage through the conductors to determine the state of the conductor insulation. If certain loads (electrical points) are connected to the circuit they may affect the reading or be damaged during the test. If there are electrical loads on a particular circuit that cannot be isolated the engineer will  omit  Live to neutral insulation testing at 500v in order

to minimise risk of damaging equipment where led lamps, neon lamps,usb

Sockets present. Live & neutral connected together & earth at 250v will be

performed instead. Cookers to be tested to isolation switch where outlet

plate is hidden.R2 test to cooker instead.Where a circuit supplies a

integrated appliance, testing will be undertaken to the point of isolation

Only to minimise/ eradicate the risk of damaging equipment

· Clocks – As the power has been disconnected the electrical clocks on appliances such as ovens, timers on central heating systems and alarm clocks will need resetting.

Any previous inspection reports – ideally to get a history of the electrical installation 

An EICR summarises risk and required action using standard observation codes. Understanding these tells you why the installation is marked satisfactory or unsatisfactory and what needs to happen next.

• C1 — Danger present: Immediate risk of injury (e.g., exposed live parts, severe overheating). Must be made safe at once; electricians will typically render it safe on site.
• C2 — Potentially dangerous: Urgent remedial action required to remove a significant risk (e.g., defective earthing/bonding or damaged equipment).
• FI — Further investigation required without delay: Something may be unsafe but needs more diagnosis to confirm the fault/extent.
• C3 — Improvement recommended: Not unsafe, but non-compliant or could be improved; does not prevent a ‘satisfactory’ outcome.

An EICR is marked unsatisfactory if any C1, C2 or FI is recorded. Only C3s can appear on a satisfactory report. The report will list observations, locations and recommended remedials.