Published: 18/09/2020
An Electrical Inspection Condition Report (EICR) is a mandatory certificate that details all electrical installations in a London rental property.It is a legal requirement to provide a copy of the EICR to each tenant before their tenancy starts, and a tenancy cannot commence without providing this before they move in.
Faulty wiring is one of the leading causes of fires around the home, and an EICR checks that everything is in good working order. The report records the inspection results, finds damage if there is any, discovers parts of wiring that might not meet regulations, and can cause an electric shock.
All fixed electrical installations, including fuse boards, circuits, sockets, and switches, must be inspected and tested every five years. It must be carried out by an electrician who has recognised apprenticeships or Level 3 Certificates in Level 3 Certificate Installing and Testing and Ensuring Compliance of Electrical Installations in Dwellings.
The electrician grades all circuits according to the following criteria:
C1 - Danger present
The tenants can not move in until all the faults have been rectified.
C2 - Potentially dangerous
The landlord needs to have agreed to rectify the fault as soon as possible and the tenants need to move in knowing that there is a fault.
C3 - Improvement recommended
The tenants can move in but the landlord needs to be made aware of the faults as they can be held liable if anything goes wrong.
Code FI - Further investigation required without delay
The electrical installation must be rated satisfactory, and this is only achieved by the electrical circuits not being graded C1, C2, or FI. If the report states it's unsatisfactory, the landlord is legally obligated to carry out the remedial works within 28 days of the originally received report. The penalty for failing to comply is a fine up to a maximum of £30,000.
We are a central London letting agents so you can rest assured that your property will meet all the necessary legal requirements when you let your property through us. We are here to remove the stress of being a landlord, maximise your returns, and minimise void periods.
