Landlords Electrical Safety Certificate

To ensure these standards are met, you will require a landlords electrical safety certificate, also known as an Electrical Installation Condition Report or EICR for short. The EICR is issued following a thorough inspection of the property by a registered electrician.  If you need a landlords electrical safety certificate in the Warrington area, Stressless Electrics are your local, registered landlord electrician.  

Landlords Electrical Responsibility

Landlords have a duty of care for their tenants. They must ensure their property is safe to inhabit and perform regular inspections to make certain the property is in good order. A landlords electrical safety report is an essential part of a landlord’s electrical responsibility. An EICR is legally required to be performed at least every 5 years. It must be carried out by a qualified and competent person, usually a registered electrician. The electrician who inspects your property will look at all aspects of the fixed electrical installation to ensure they meet current standards and are safe to use. Failure to have an EICR performed at your rental property can result in a hefty fine and can leave your tenants and property at risk. After the EICR inspection, your electrician will supply a copy of their report and as a landlord you must then:

• Provide a copy of your EICR to your tenant within 28 days of the electrician’s inspection.
• Supply a copy of the EICR to the local housing authority within 7 days when a request in writing is made.
• Keep a copy of that EICR until the next EICR is due and supply a copy to the electrician carrying out the next inspection.
• Provide a copy of the most recent EICR to any new tenant before they occupy the property; and any prospective tenant within 28 days of receiving a request in writing.

Understanding your EICR  

After a thorough inspection of your property, your electrician will issue you with your landlords EICR report. The electrical safety report will record the electrician’s observations and list any findings as either satisfactory or unsatisfactory.  Specific codes will be used to indicate the urgency with which action is required.

Unsatisfactory Codes are:

• C1 – Danger present, risk of injury, immediate remedial action required.
• C2 – Potentially Dangerous, urgent remedial action required.
• FI – Further investigation required

These require action and remedial works. A C1 code can mean your electrician will need to take immediate action for your tenants’ safety.  

A Satisfactory Code is:

• C3 – Improvement recommended

This means that an area inspected is safe for use but may require action in the near future. It can also be used to indicate that something does not meet current regulations.

As the property’s landlord, your electrician will explain their findings in detail and explain any steps that are needed to rectify any issues. If your report is unsatisfactory, then remedial work will need to take place within 28 days or less if deemed more urgent by your electrician.

If you are a landlord in Warrington and you are looking for a registered, competent electrician to perform an EICR electrical safety report at your property, call Stressless Electrics today. Our fully qualified, NICEIC registered electricians are ready to help you with all your landlord electrical needs. Let us take the stress out of your electrical responsibilities.