Landlord Electrical Safety Responsibilities: Complete UK Guide 2025
Look, we're going to be straight with you. Being a landlord comes with responsibilities with electrical safety being one that a lot of landlords get wrong.
Over the past 5 years at Hackwood Electrical, we've rigorously inspected hundreds of rental properties across the West Midlands, and we've witnessed things that genuinely concern us for the safety of the tenants living in them.
The good news? Staying compliant with electrical safety regulations doesn't have to be complicated. In this guide, we'll carefully walk you through exactly what you need to know, what timelines matter, and what happens if you don't get it right.
Why Should You Actually Care About This?
Here's the thing: electrical safety isn't just bureaucracy. It's the difference between your property being a safe place to live and a potential fire hazard.
Under UK law, you're legally responsible for ensuring your rental property's electrical installation is safe for your tenants. That's not optional. And the penalties for getting it wrong? Up to £30,000 in fines. In severe cases, prosecution.
But beyond the legal stuff, there's the human side. We’ve attended emergency callouts where loose electrical connections are on the verge of starting fires, and have found properties where the lack of proper earthing meant tenants were one faulty electrical connection away from an electric shock.
Your responsibility: The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 applies to every property let out - flats, houses, HMOs, you name it.
Your duty is straightforward:
Get regular electrical safety inspections
Keep proper records
Fix any problems within the required timelines
Keep your tenants informed
That's it. But you actually have to do it.
The EICR: Your Legal Obligation Explained
An Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) is a professional inspection of your property's electrics. A qualified electrician tests your consumer unit, wiring, sockets, switches, and all fixed electrical equipment.
They'll identify any defects and rate them by severity. That rating tells you how urgent the problem is.
When Do You Actually Need One?
Starting a new tenancy? You need an EICR dated within the 12 months before the tenancy begins.
Already got tenants? You need one at least every 5 years. No exceptions. That's the legal minimum.
What Will It Cost You?
Pricing varies quite a bit, to be honest. We charge per consumer unit and per circuit (with a minimum of one consumer unit and 6 circuits). You'll find other electricians charging anywhere from £50 to £500.
Here's our honest take: if someone's offering an EICR for £50, they're cutting corners. There is a very high chance that crucial tests are being missed as they tend to be in and out in minutes, which DEFINITELY isn't enough time to carry out a thorough and complete job. Each test carried out is like a chapter in a story; it tells us a bit more about the condition of the electrical installation we’re inspecting, with evidence backing the reason we do or don’t pass it. And at the end of the day, it's your responsibility if something goes wrong.
Typically, an EICR on a 3-bedroom semi takes 3-4 hours which could cost anwhere between £150-350, depending on the size of the property and number of consumer units and circuits being tested. It's not the cheapest option, but it's the right one.
What Happens During an EICR?
The electrician will carry out two types of testing:
Dead Testing (Electrical Installation Off)
During dead testing, we:
Visually inspect every electrical component
Test circuits for continuity and insulation resistance
Check earthing and bonding
Verify cable sizing and routing (if possible)
Examine fixed equipment for damage
Live Testing (Power On)
Once dead testing is complete, we switch the power back on for live testing:
Earth fault loop impedance
External earth fault loop impedance
Verify RCD protection is working correctly
Test overcurrent protective devices (MCBs, RCBOs)
Check polarity
Test circuit operation
The order in which this is done varies from electrician to electrician as they have their own preferred process. What is given is that the power will be off during the testing. We always notify the tenants that it’ll be off for the majority of the EICR, providing them with ample warning and understanding of the duration.
Once everything is complete, we’ll compile a detailed report with all the readings we've taken, any observations found, along with photos and the corresponding code, as well as the list of areas that we’ve inspected. If we’ve found issues, the report will be unsatisfactory; if not, it will be satisfactory.
Understanding Codes: C1, C2, C3, and FI
This is crucial because these codes indicate the severity of each defect and the necessary actions to take. If any C1, C2, or FI's are observed during the EICR, the report will be automatically set to unsatisfactory. C3 observations are noted down; however, do not affect the outcome of EICR.
C1: Danger Present (Act Now)
This is serious. A C1 indicates an immediate danger to people, characterised by live parts exposed, shock hazard, potential fire risk, or inadequate earthing.
Our approach: When we find a C1 defect during an EICR, we won't leave the premises until it’s safe. It's that important.
Your responsibility: If any C1 defects are found, we’ll ensure that it’s suitably safe and note it down as an observation on the initial EICR report. The report will automatically become unsatisfactory because of this.
C2: Potentially Dangerous (28-Day Deadline)
A C2 defect isn't immediately life-threatening, but ignoring it can make it so.
Common examples? Missing RCD protection on a bathroom lighting circuit (we find this one constantly). Damaged cables. Insufficient earthing. Incorrect circuit breaker ratings.
Your responsibility: You have 28 days to get remedial work done. That's your legal deadline. Miss it and you're in breach of regulations. The EICR certificate will be marked as unsatisfactory until the C2 defect is remediated and retested.
We attended an EICR recently where a property had metal accessories throughout - light switches and sockets were all metal, but there was no earth on the lighting circuit at all. If a fault occurred, the fault current had nowhere to go, which meant anyone touching a faulty switch would get an electric shock.
C3: Improvement Recommended
C3 defects aren't dangerous; they are items that have been observed not meeting current standards. Old-style round-pin sockets, lack of surge protection, and outdated but functioning equipment are a few examples.
Your responsibility: There's no legal deadline to act on C3 defects right now. But here's the thing - they're often early warning signs. Older wiring or equipment that is starting to wear out today could become a C1 or C2 defect in a few years. If you address them now or within 12 - 18 months, you're preventing bigger, more expensive problems down the line. We'd recommend sorting them before your next 5-year inspection to stay ahead of deterioration.
FI: Further Investigation Required
Sometimes, an installation can have several unknown cables in the consumer unit, whose functions and destinations are unclear to us. Our usual process is to spend no more than 15 minutes looking for the circuit; if we can’t find it in that time, we’ll switch that circuit off, notify the occupant of what we’ve done and log it as an FI code.
Your responsibility: Treat it like C2. The certificate will be marked as unsatisfactory. Get it investigated and sorted urgently.
We've specified full rewires on properties that were riddled with C2s and FIs. It's rare, but it happens when a property hasn't been appropriately maintained. Obviously, that's not cheap - but it's necessary.
Your Timeline for Compliance: Don't Miss These Deadlines
Get these dates wrong and you'll be in trouble.
Before a New Tenancy Starts
Get an EICR done within 12 months before move-in
Provide a copy to tenants before or within 30 days of the tenancy starting
Keep all certificates for at least 5 years
During the Tenancy
Arrange a new EICR every 5 years
Fix C1 defects immediately
Fix C2 defects within 28 days
Keep records of everything
If You Find a Problem Between Inspections
Don't wait. Electrical issues get worse, not better. Arrange remedial work straight away.
The Real Consequences of Not Complying
Let me be blunt about this. I've seen landlords try to cut corners. It doesn't end well.
Financial penalties: Local authorities can issue Improvement Notices. If you ignore them, fines reach up to £30,000 per breach. Multiple breaches? Multiple fines.
Criminal prosecution: In serious cases—especially if someone gets hurt—you could face criminal charges under the Health and Safety at Work Act.
Insurance nightmares: Insurance companies love finding out about electrical non-compliance. Your claim gets denied. Your policy gets cancelled.
Tenant problems: Tenants can report you to the local authority. They can withhold rent for safety issues (in certain circumstances). They can pursue damages if they're injured.
Your reputation: Word gets around. Negative reviews pile up. Letting your next property become a nightmare.
Finding the Right Electrician (It Matters)
Not every electrician can carry out an EICR. They need to be qualified and registered with an approved scheme.
The approved schemes are:
NICEIC
NAPIT
ELECSA
ECA
At Hackwood Electrical, we're NAPIT approved. That means you know the work meets BS 7671:2018 (18th Edition) standards - the current UK wiring regulations.
How to find one:
Visit the scheme's website (NAPIT.org.uk, NICEIC.org.uk, etc.)
Search your postcode for registered electricians
Get 2-3 quotes
Check their accreditation is current
Book in advance—good electricians get busy
Pro tip: Ask about their turnaround time. At Hackwood, we can usually fit landlords in within a couple of weeks, depending on demand. But it varies by area and season.
Don't Just Get Compliant—Stay Compliant
Here's something worth considering: annual inspections and maintenance save problems down the line. That's why we created our Hackwood Service Plan for landlords.
Our care plan handles all your electrical compliance on your behalf: EICR testing, PAT testing for portable appliances, and ongoing support, including call-outs. It's essentially a set-and-forget approach to landlord compliance, meaning you're covered, your tenants are safe, and you never have to worry about missing deadlines.
Remedial Work: Who Pays?
You do. Full stop.
As the property owner, you're responsible for any remedial work needed to meet safety standards. You can't pass it to tenants. You can't expect them to fund essential safety repairs. After we’ve carried out the EICR, you’ll be sent the initial report that outlines any and all remedial tasks required, alongside a quote to remediate them as well.
What kind of work are we talking about?
Consumer unit replacement (if there's no RCD protection) - if we can retrofit RCD’s we will as this keeps costs down.
Installation of RCDs or RCBOs
Repair or replacement of damaged cables
Additional circuits
Earthing and bonding upgrades
Replacing outdated equipment
The timeline depends on the defect code:
C1: We'll remediate on site (won't leave until it's sorted)
C2: Within 28 days of the EICR
C3: Before your next inspection (5 years)
Managing costs: Yes, remedial work can be expensive. But here's the thing - you can't skip it, so work with qualified electricians to get proper quotes. The most expensive job we've had to specify was a full rewire because the property was riddled with defects. It's rare, but it happens.
What About Different Types of Properties?
Properties aren't all the same when it comes to electrics.
New builds often have low-quality installations. We’ve encountered various issues in newer properties that shouldn't be there.
Older Victorian terraces have incredibly old wiring and outdated consumer units that are often non-compliant with modern standards.
Commercial properties take longer to inspect; sometimes days, depending on size, and have their own complexity.
The point? Get a qualified electrician who understands your property type.
What Your Tenants Need to Know
You must provide tenants with a copy of the EICR report. They should receive it before moving in (or within 30 days).
If serious defects are found, keep them informed about remedial actions.
What tenants can do if you don't comply:
Report you to the local authorities
File complaints with environmental health
In some cases, deduct repair costs from rent
Claim damages if injured
This is another reason to stay compliant—it protects everyone.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Not quite yet—but remember, an EICR is needed either every 5 years or whenever there's a change in tenancy, whichever comes sooner. So if your tenant moves out, you'll need a fresh EICR before the new tenant moves in, even if you're not at the 5-year mark. If anything's changed or tenants report electrical issues, get it checked sooner anyway.
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You have a legal right to reasonable access for inspections and maintenance. If they refuse, that's a breach of the tenancy agreement. Document it and follow your agreement's provisions. Contact your local authority if you genuinely can't fulfill your legal obligations.
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No. All electrical work must be carried out by a qualified, registered electrician. DIY electrical work in rental properties is illegal and voids your insurance. Don't do it!
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Fix it immediately. Don't wait for the next inspection cycle. Electrical problems worsen quickly.
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No. This is important. There's a massive spectrum in what electricians charge and what they actually do. Someone charging £50 for an EICR in 30 minutes is cutting corners. Crucial tests are being missed. Dangerous observations are being overlooked. You're the one responsible if something goes wrong, so make sure the electrician doing the work is actually doing a thorough job.
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Get a second opinion from another qualified electrician. But don't dismiss C1 defects to save money. If two qualified electricians agree there's a safety issue, there's a safety issue.
Your Action Plan: Get Compliant This Month
Step 1: Check your records
When was your last EICR? Do you have the certificate? Were any defects found and remedied?
Step 2: Work out your next deadline
Add 5 years to your last inspection date. Mark it in your calendar. Set a reminder for 2 months before.
Step 3: Book an electrician
Visit NAPIT.org.uk (or NICEIC.org.uk) and search your postcode. Get 2-3 quotes. Book 4-6 weeks in advance if you can.
Step 4: Get the inspection done
Give the electrician full access. Discuss any defects found. Get a written report.
Step 5: Address defects on schedule
C1: Immediately
C2: Within 28 days
C3: Plan for next 5 years
Step 6: Give tenants a copy of the report
Keep them in the loop. Build trust.
Hackwood’s Honest Advice
With more than 20 years of industry experience, here's what we know: electrical safety isn't something to gamble on. The regulations exist because electrical failures cause injuries, fires, and deaths. They're not red tape—they're lifesaving measures.
Stay compliant. It protects your tenants. It protects your investment. It keeps you out of trouble.
If you're unsure about anything, ask a qualified electrician. It's better to get professional advice than risk non-compliance.
Ready to Get Compliant?
If you're due for an EICR or have questions about electrical safety in your rental property, we're here to help. We're NAPIT-registered electricians covering Birmingham, Stourbridge, Worcester, Cannock, and beyond.
Contact Us or check out our landlord Care Plans which are designed to keep you compliant on autopilot and your tenants safe. We can usually fit landlords in within a couple of weeks, depending on our capacity and availability.
