Landlord Compliance Check

EICR

Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR): cost, rules and how to book

Five-yearly electrical safety inspection legally required for all rented properties in England and Wales.

Typical UK cost
£120 to £300
Validity
5 years
Legal basis
Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020.

EICR cost calculator

Enter your postcode and property details for an estimated cost band. Figures are aggregated from public data and exclude any remedial work.

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EICR cost by location

Local labour rates and parking conditions push prices up or down. Pick your area for a postcode-aware estimate.

LondonLondon

Estimated cost: £150 to £375

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CamdenLondon

Estimated cost: £162 to £405

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HackneyLondon

Estimated cost: £150 to £375

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IslingtonLondon

Estimated cost: £156 to £390

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LambethLondon

Estimated cost: £146 to £366

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SouthwarkLondon

Estimated cost: £146 to £366

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Tower HamletsLondon

Estimated cost: £150 to £375

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WandsworthLondon

Estimated cost: £154 to £384

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WestminsterLondon

Estimated cost: £168 to £420

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Kensington and ChelseaLondon

Estimated cost: £174 to £435

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Hammersmith and FulhamLondon

Estimated cost: £156 to £390

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HaringeyLondon

Estimated cost: £144 to £360

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Show all 252 locations covered
EICR in LondonEICR in CamdenEICR in HackneyEICR in IslingtonEICR in LambethEICR in SouthwarkEICR in Tower HamletsEICR in WandsworthEICR in WestminsterEICR in Kensington and ChelseaEICR in Hammersmith and FulhamEICR in HaringeyEICR in NewhamEICR in Waltham ForestEICR in LewishamEICR in GreenwichEICR in BromleyEICR in EalingEICR in BrentEICR in BarnetEICR in CroydonEICR in ManchesterEICR in BirminghamEICR in LeedsEICR in LiverpoolEICR in SheffieldEICR in BristolEICR in Newcastle upon TyneEICR in NottinghamEICR in LeicesterEICR in CoventryEICR in BradfordEICR in Stoke-on-TrentEICR in WolverhamptonEICR in PlymouthEICR in DerbyEICR in SouthamptonEICR in PortsmouthEICR in Brighton and HoveEICR in ReadingEICR in OxfordEICR in CambridgeEICR in YorkEICR in Milton KeynesEICR in NorwichEICR in NorthamptonEICR in CardiffEICR in AldershotEICR in AndoverEICR in AshfordEICR in BanburyEICR in BasingstokeEICR in BracknellEICR in CamberleyEICR in CanterburyEICR in ChichesterEICR in CrawleyEICR in DartfordEICR in DoverEICR in EastbourneEICR in EastleighEICR in EpsomEICR in FarnboroughEICR in FolkestoneEICR in GillinghamEICR in GravesendEICR in GuildfordEICR in HastingsEICR in HavantEICR in HorshamEICR in Kingston upon ThamesEICR in MaidenheadEICR in MaidstoneEICR in MargateEICR in NewburyEICR in ReigateEICR in SevenoaksEICR in SloughEICR in SurbitonEICR in TonbridgeEICR in Tunbridge WellsEICR in WokingEICR in WokinghamEICR in WorthingEICR in WinchesterEICR in High WycombeEICR in AylesburyEICR in BathEICR in BournemouthEICR in CheltenhamEICR in ExeterEICR in GloucesterEICR in PooleEICR in SalisburyEICR in SwindonEICR in TauntonEICR in TorquayEICR in TruroEICR in Weston-super-MareEICR in YeovilEICR in WeymouthEICR in BarnstapleEICR in StroudEICR in BasildonEICR in BedfordEICR in BraintreeEICR in Bury St EdmundsEICR in ChelmsfordEICR in Clacton-on-SeaEICR in ColchesterEICR in Great YarmouthEICR in HarlowEICR in Hemel HempsteadEICR in HertfordEICR in IpswichEICR in King's LynnEICR in Letchworth Garden CityEICR in LowestoftEICR in LutonEICR in PeterboroughEICR in Southend-on-SeaEICR in St AlbansEICR in StevenageEICR in WatfordEICR in Welwyn Garden CityEICR in WisbechEICR in HitchinEICR in HaverhillEICR in BostonEICR in ChesterfieldEICR in CorbyEICR in GranthamEICR in KetteringEICR in LincolnEICR in LoughboroughEICR in MansfieldEICR in Newark-on-TrentEICR in WellingboroughEICR in WorksopEICR in Burton upon TrentEICR in Long EatonEICR in SkegnessEICR in CannockEICR in DudleyEICR in HalesowenEICR in HerefordEICR in KidderminsterEICR in Leamington SpaEICR in NuneatonEICR in RedditchEICR in RugbyEICR in ShrewsburyEICR in SolihullEICR in StaffordEICR in StourbridgeEICR in Stratford-upon-AvonEICR in Sutton ColdfieldEICR in TamworthEICR in TelfordEICR in WalsallEICR in WarwickEICR in West BromwichEICR in WorcesterEICR in BarnsleyEICR in DoncasterEICR in HalifaxEICR in HarrogateEICR in HuddersfieldEICR in HullEICR in RotherhamEICR in ScarboroughEICR in ScunthorpeEICR in WakefieldEICR in CastlefordEICR in DewsburyEICR in GrimsbyEICR in KeighleyEICR in PontefractEICR in SkiptonEICR in AltrinchamEICR in BlackburnEICR in BlackpoolEICR in BoltonEICR in BurnleyEICR in BuryEICR in ChesterEICR in CreweEICR in Ellesmere PortEICR in LancasterEICR in OldhamEICR in PrestonEICR in RochdaleEICR in SalfordEICR in SouthportEICR in St HelensEICR in StockportEICR in WarringtonEICR in WiganEICR in BirkenheadEICR in MacclesfieldEICR in CarlisleEICR in DarlingtonEICR in DurhamEICR in GatesheadEICR in HartlepoolEICR in MiddlesbroughEICR in South ShieldsEICR in Stockton-on-TeesEICR in SunderlandEICR in WashingtonEICR in RedcarEICR in SwanseaEICR in NewportEICR in WrexhamEICR in BangorEICR in BarryEICR in BridgendEICR in CaerphillyEICR in CwmbranEICR in LlanelliEICR in Merthyr TydfilEICR in NeathEICR in PontypriddEICR in RhylEICR in AberystwythEICR in AberdeenEICR in AyrEICR in DundeeEICR in DunfermlineEICR in East KilbrideEICR in EdinburghEICR in FalkirkEICR in GlasgowEICR in GreenockEICR in HamiltonEICR in InvernessEICR in KilmarnockEICR in KirkcaldyEICR in LivingstonEICR in MotherwellEICR in PaisleyEICR in PerthEICR in StirlingEICR in CumbernauldEICR in BelfastEICR in DerryEICR in LisburnEICR in NewtownabbeyEICR in BangorEICR in CraigavonEICR in BallymenaEICR in Newry

EICR explained in depth

The legal duty: Electrical Safety Standards 2020 explained

The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 placed a clear, enforceable duty on landlords in England. Every fixed electrical installation in a let property must be inspected and tested at least every five years by a qualified person, and the resulting report must be acted on. The landlord must supply the report to existing tenants within 28 days of the inspection, to new tenants before they move in, to a prospective tenant within 28 days of a request, and to the local authority within seven days of a request. Where remedial work is needed, it must be completed within 28 days and written confirmation obtained. The regulations cover almost all private tenancies, with narrow exceptions such as long leases of seven years or more, social housing, and certain situations already covered by separate rules.

What an EICR actually tests

The inspection is both visual and instrument-based. The electrician examines the consumer unit, checks for the right protective devices (RCDs and circuit breakers), inspects accessible wiring, sockets, switches and light fittings for damage, overheating or unsafe modifications, and confirms correct earthing and bonding. They then carry out dead tests (continuity, insulation resistance, polarity) and live tests (earth fault loop impedance, RCD operation) on each circuit. Findings are recorded circuit by circuit with any C1, C2, C3 or FI codes, and the overall installation is declared satisfactory or unsatisfactory. The report also records the extent of the inspection and any limitations, which matters if circuits could not be accessed.

Budgeting for remedial work

The EICR fee is only the inspection. If the report is unsatisfactory, the remedial work is a separate cost and it is where landlords are most often caught out. Common fixes range from minor and cheap (replacing a damaged socket, £30 to £80) to significant (upgrading an old fuse board to a modern consumer unit with RCD protection, £350 to £700, or a partial or full rewire, £2,000 to £6,000 plus). Budget realistically when buying older stock: a property that has not had an EICR in many years can carry several hundred to several thousand pounds of remedial work. Ask the electrician for an itemised quote against each coded item so you can prioritise the C1 and C2 issues that are legally required first.

Managing EICR renewals across a portfolio

For a multi-property landlord the practical risk is not the cost of a single EICR but losing track of renewal dates across the portfolio. Keep a simple register of every property with its EICR date, expiry date, the inspecting electrician and the report reference, and diarise each expiry 60 to 90 days ahead so you can book the recheck before the certificate lapses. Stagger inspections across the year rather than letting them bunch, keep the PDF reports and remedial-work confirmations in one place, and note any shorter-than-five-year recheck dates the electrician specified. A lapsed EICR is one of the easiest compliance failures for a council to evidence, so calendar discipline is the cheapest insurance you can buy.

EICR questions landlords ask

Answers to the questions we get most often. Every answer reflects UK law as it stands in 2026.

What is an EICR?
An Electrical Installation Condition Report is a formal inspection and test of the fixed electrical installation in a property: the wiring, sockets, light fittings, consumer unit (fuse board) and earthing. A qualified electrician checks the installation against the current edition of BS 7671 (the IET Wiring Regulations) and records its condition as satisfactory or unsatisfactory. It is the rental sector's equivalent of an MOT for the electrics.
Is an EICR a legal requirement for rental properties?
Yes. The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 require a valid EICR for almost all private tenancies in England. The duty applied to new tenancies from 1 July 2020 and to all existing tenancies from 1 April 2021. Wales has equivalent electrical safety duties under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016, and Scotland requires a five-yearly electrical safety inspection under the Repairing Standard.
How often does a landlord need an EICR?
At least every five years, or more frequently if the report itself specifies a shorter interval. The five-year maximum is a ceiling, not a target: if the inspecting electrician judges the installation to need an earlier recheck, that shorter date is legally binding. A fresh report is also sensible after any major electrical work or rewire.
How much does an EICR cost?
Most UK landlords pay £120 to £300 for a domestic EICR. The price depends mainly on the number of circuits, the size and age of the property, and your region, with London and the South East at the higher end. A one or two bedroom flat is usually £120 to £180; a three or four bedroom house £180 to £300. Any remedial work to fix faults found is charged separately.
What do C1, C2, C3 and FI codes mean?
These are the classification codes an electrician records against any issue found. C1 means danger is present and there is a risk of injury, so immediate action is required. C2 means potentially dangerous and urgent remedial work is needed. FI means further investigation is required without delay. C3 means improvement is recommended but is not a failure. A report is marked unsatisfactory if it contains any C1, C2 or FI code; a report with only C3 items is still satisfactory.
What happens if my EICR is unsatisfactory?
If the report is unsatisfactory, the landlord must have the C1, C2 or FI items put right by a qualified electrician within 28 days, or sooner if the report specifies a shorter period. You must then obtain written confirmation that the remedial work has been completed and supply it to the tenant and, on request, the local authority. A C1 danger should be made safe on the day of the inspection.
How long does an EICR take?
Between two and four hours for a typical home, and longer for larger properties or those with many circuits. The electrician needs to switch off the power for parts of the test, so it is best done when the property is empty or the tenant is aware in advance. Older installations with poor records take longer because every circuit has to be traced and tested.
Who can carry out an EICR?
A qualified and competent electrician. The safest route is one registered with a recognised competent person scheme such as NICEIC, NAPIT or ELECSA, holding the current 18th Edition (BS 7671) qualification and the City and Guilds 2391 inspection and testing qualification. Always check the registration number before booking.
What is the difference between an EICR and PAT testing?
An EICR inspects the fixed installation: the wiring, sockets, switches and consumer unit built into the building. PAT (Portable Appliance Testing) checks moveable appliances that plug into those sockets, such as kettles, lamps, fridges and microwaves the landlord supplies. A fully compliant let needs the EICR for the installation and, where the landlord provides appliances, PAT for those items.
Do new-build or recently rewired properties need an EICR?
A brand new or fully rewired installation comes with an Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC), which is valid evidence of electrical safety. You will still need an EICR within five years of that certificate to keep the property compliant. The EIC covers the moment of installation; the EICR confirms the installation has remained safe in use.
What are the penalties for letting without a valid EICR?
Local authorities can impose a financial penalty of up to £30,000 for breaching the Electrical Safety Standards Regulations. They can also arrange remedial work themselves and recover the cost from the landlord. Beyond the fine, an invalid EICR can void landlord insurance and weakens any possession claim, so the commercial risk is far higher than the certificate cost.

What landlords need to know

The EICR is required under Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020. Certificates are valid for 5 years and must be renewed before they expire. Tenants are entitled to a copy when a new tenancy begins or within 28 days of a renewal inspection.

Costs vary by location, property size and the engineer's hourly rate. A two-bedroom flat in central London will typically cost more than a similar property in a regional city, primarily because of travel time and parking. Older properties with outdated wiring or installations may take longer to inspect.

We aggregate cost figures from public data and trade body guidance, then refresh them quarterly. Always confirm the final price with your chosen provider before booking.

Read the full EICR guide →