Plain-English guides to EICRs, landlord electrical safety and buying or selling a home in Manchester.
Private landlords in England have clear legal duties for electrical safety. The main one is an EICR at least every five years, but there are rules about who gets a copy, how quickly problems are fixed, and the alarms and appliances you provide. Use this checklist to make sure nothing is missed.
If an EICR comes back unsatisfactory just before a new tenancy starts, get the C1, C2 and FI items fixed before the tenant moves in if you can. The law gives landlords 28 days to complete remedial work, but that’s a deadline, not a reason to let someone move into a property with known safety problems.
A little preparation makes an EICR quicker, avoids “further investigation” codes for things that couldn’t be reached, and means fewer surprises on the report. Here’s what to sort out before the electrician arrives.
An EICR “fails” (is unsatisfactory) when it records any C1, C2 or FI observation. In rental homes the same problems come up again and again. Some can only be fixed by an electrician, but a few are easy to spot and sort out before the inspection.
There’s no law that says “every business must have an EICR every five years”. But the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 require employers and anyone in control of premises to keep electrical systems safe, and regular inspection and testing is how you show you’re doing that. Insurers and landlords usually expect a current EICR too.
EICR prices vary, and so does what you get for the money. These ten questions will help you compare quotes and choose an electrician you can trust.
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