Landlord EICR — the 2020 Regulations every UK landlord must follow.
Since 1 June 2020, every privately rented home in England must have a 5-yearly EICR. The landlord must give a copy to tenants within 28 days and to the local council on request. C1, C2 or FI codes must be remediated within 28 days. Civil penalties up to £30,000 per breach.
What does the 2020 EICR regulation require landlords to do?
Since 1 June 2020 every privately rented home in England must have an EICR. The landlord must commission a qualified electrician every 5 years (or at change of tenancy if sooner), supply a copy to tenants within 28 days, supply a copy to the local council on request within 7 days, and remediate any C1, C2 or FI codes within 28 days. Civil penalties up to £30,000 per breach.
EICR renewal interval for every privately rented home in England.
Time to remedy any C1 / C2 / FI before further enforcement.
Civil penalty issued by local housing authority.
Landlord EICR — the terms that matter
Plain-English definitions for the 4 terms you'll see in any quote, certificate or enforcement notice for Landlord Electrical Safety (EICR).
- 2020 RegulationsPRS 2020
- Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 — landed 1 June 2020, applied to existing tenancies from 1 April 2021.
- Qualified PersonQP
- For an EICR — someone with relevant qualifications, experience and registration with NICEIC, NAPIT, ELECSA or Stroma. A part-qualified electrician is not a Qualified Person.
- Remedial Action NoticeRAN
- The local housing authority's formal notice requiring a landlord to remedy electrical safety failures. Issued where the 28-day private remediation has not been documented.
- Selective LicensingSelective
- A council scheme that may add EICR + other inspections as licence conditions on every privately rented property in a designated zone — typically tackling anti-social behaviour or low-quality housing.
How a landlord meets the 2020 EICR Regulations
Five steps from instruction to certificate. Total time: 1y.
01
Pick the right electrician
Day 0
NICEIC- or NAPIT-registered electrician with City & Guilds 2391 inspection-and-testing qualification. Verify the registration on the body's public register.
02
Commission EICR
Day 1–14
Inspector tests every fixed circuit, every consumer unit, every accessible outlet. 2–4 hours for a typical 3-bed home. Issues a coded report (Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory).
03
Issue copies
≤28 days
Give a copy to existing tenants within 28 days; to the local housing authority on request within 7 days; to new tenants before they move in.
04
Remediate
≤28 days
Any C1, C2 or FI code must be remedied within 28 days, by a qualified electrician, with written confirmation sent to tenants and (if requested) the council.
05
Diary 5-year renewal
5 years on
Renewal at 5 years or at change of tenancy if sooner. Late renewals are themselves a breach.
Landlord Electrical Safety (EICR). Done compliant.
Every TradeMatch-listed tradesperson covering Landlord Electrical Safety (EICR) carries the relevant scheme registration. Verified at onboarding, re-verified annually, certificates posted to you within 30 days of any notifiable work.
Compliant vs non-compliant landlord under PRS 2020
Side-by-side comparison of the compliant route versus the unregistered shortcut. Most rows trace a straight line from regulation to financial exposure.
| Element | Compliant landlord | Non-compliant landlord |
|---|---|---|
| COMPLIANT — RECOMMENDEDEICR commissioned | Every 5 years; qualified electrician on register | Missed cycle / unqualified inspector |
| Tenant copy | Issued within 28 days of inspection | Not issued — automatic breach |
| Council copy | Within 7 days of request | Not provided — RAN typical |
| C1 / C2 / FI | Remediated within 28 days, written confirmation issued | Left in place — risk of fine + enforcement |
| Civil penalty | None | Up to £30,000 per breach |
| Remedial Action Notice | No RAN — proactive remediation closes | RAN issued; council can carry out + recover costs |
| Tenant rights | No grounds for complaint | Tenants can apply for Rent Repayment Order |
Source: Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020.
The questions homeowners ask before they commit.
When did the 2020 EICR regulations come into effect?
For new tenancies on or after 1 June 2020 the rules applied immediately. For existing tenancies the rules applied from 1 April 2021. Every privately rented home in England has been in scope since then.
How much does a landlord EICR cost?
£150 (1-bed flat) – £450 (5+ bed house). London adds 20–30% to the rest of the UK. HMOs cost more because every circuit is tested individually. Most letting agents bundle the EICR cost into the management fee or onboarding charge.
What happens if I don't comply with the 2020 Regulations?
The local housing authority can issue civil penalties up to £30,000 per breach (with separate breaches counted as separate penalties). They can also serve a Remedial Action Notice forcing remediation, carry out the work themselves and recover costs, and tenants can apply for a Rent Repayment Order to recover up to 12 months' rent.
Do the 2020 Regulations apply to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland?
The 2020 Regulations apply to England only. Scotland has its own EICR rules under the Housing (Scotland) Act 2014 with similar 5-year inspection. Wales follows the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 with electrical safety duties. Northern Ireland regulates under the Houses in Multiple Occupation Act 2016 for HMOs only.
What's the 28-day remediation rule?
When an EICR returns Unsatisfactory (one or more C1, C2 or FI codes), the landlord has 28 days from receipt of the report to: complete remediation; obtain written confirmation from a qualified electrician that the work is done; supply that written confirmation to tenants and (if they've asked) the local housing authority.
Does a tenant have to let me in for an EICR?
A tenant cannot unreasonably refuse access for a statutory inspection. The 2020 Regulations include a defence for landlords who can show they took all reasonable steps to comply. Document every access attempt in writing — email or recorded delivery — to evidence reasonable efforts.
Going deeper.
Landlord EICR, on time, on spec.
TradeMatch electricians issue Satisfactory EICRs for landlords across England, with the tenant + council copies sent on your behalf.