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The short version
- Private rented homes and HMOs in England need an EICR at least every five years, by law.
- Owner-occupied homes have no legal requirement; ten years between inspections is the usual guidance.
- A new tenancy does not legally require a new EICR if the current report is in date.
- An EICR lasts until the next inspection date on the report, which can be sooner than five years.
- Allow half a day for the inspection; more circuits or a second consumer unit make it longer.
A privately rented home in England needs an EICR at least every five years, or sooner if the last report recommends it. Owner-occupied homes have no legal requirement, but ten years is the usual guidance. Whatever the property, a report lasts until the next inspection date printed on it, and that is the date to work to.
EICR intervals by property type
Some intervals are set by law and some are guidance from the IET, the body behind the UK wiring regulations. The difference matters: missing a legal interval can bring a fine, while guidance is what a competent electrician will recommend.
| Property | Maximum interval | Law or guidance |
|---|---|---|
| Privately rented home | 5 years | Law (2020 Regulations) |
| HMO | 5 years | Law (2020 Regulations) |
| Social housing | 5 years | Law, phased in over 2025 and 2026 |
| Owner-occupied home | 10 years | Guidance |
| Caravan | 3 years | Guidance |
| Swimming pool | 1 year | Guidance |
An HMO licence can add electrical safety conditions of its own on top of the Regulations, so check the licence as well as the law.
The five-year rule for landlords
The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 apply to most private tenancies, including HMOs. They set a maximum interval, not a fixed date: if the last report recommends an earlier inspection, that earlier date is the legal one.
The deadlines after each inspection
- Give existing tenants a copy of the report within 28 days of the inspection
- Give a new tenant a copy before they move in
- Send the council a copy within 7 days if it asks for one
- Finish any remedial work within 28 days, or sooner if the report says so
- Confirm in writing to tenants and the council that the work is done, within 28 days of finishing it
A new tenancy does not reset the clock
You do not need a fresh EICR every time a tenant changes, as long as the existing report is still in date and the new tenant gets a copy before moving in. Guidance suggests a check at a change of occupancy, and it is a sensible time for one, but it is not a legal requirement.
Councils can issue a financial penalty of up to £40,000 for a breach. Our landlord EICR service in East London covers the inspection, the report and any remedial work that follows.
Homeowners: ten years is guidance, not law
If you own and live in your home, nobody requires you to have an EICR. Ten years between inspections is the usual guidance, with an extra check worth doing when you move in.
Most homeowners book one for a practical reason: buying an older property, planning an extension, or finding that nobody can say when the wiring was last checked. Our EICR and electrical safety testing page covers homeowner and pre-purchase inspections.
Portfolio landlords and managing agents
Across several properties, the intervals rarely line up. Each property runs on its own cycle from its own last report, so the date to track is per property, not per block or per portfolio.
- Keep the latest report and its next inspection date for every property
- Track the remedial deadline separately from the inspection date
- Book inspections in the same area close together to cut travel and access time
When an EICR is due sooner
The intervals above are maximums. An inspection is worth bringing forward if any of these apply:
- The last report recommended a shorter interval
- The consumer unit still has rewireable fuses or no RCD protection
- There has been water damage near wiring or fittings
- The property has been extended, renovated or partly rewired
- Breakers or RCDs trip without an obvious cause
- There is no record of the last inspection at all
If the five years have already run out
Book an inspection straight away. A lapsed report is a breach of the Regulations for as long as it stays lapsed, and the council can ask to see the current report at any time, with seven days to supply it.
Social housing joins the five-year rule
Social landlords in England now follow the same five-year rule. It took effect on 1 December 2025 for new tenancies and on 1 May 2026 for existing ones, with every existing home to be checked by 1 November 2026.
How long an EICR lasts
An EICR has no fixed lifespan. It stays valid until the next inspection date written on it. For a rented home or HMO in England that is five years at most, set by law. For an owner-occupied home, guidance puts it at up to ten years.
Is an EICR 3 years or 5 years?
Five years is the most the law allows for a rented home, not a fixed term. If the electrician writes three years on the report, the next inspection is due in three, and for a landlord that earlier date is the legal one.
Three years is also the guidance interval for a caravan, which is where the figure often comes from. For a house or flat, it only applies when the report says so.
How long an EICR takes
Electrical Safety First puts a typical domestic EICR at around three to four hours, and tells landlords to allow half a day. The real length depends on the size of the property and the number of circuits, since every circuit is tested individually rather than sampled.
An electrical safety check for a rented home is the same inspection under another name, so it takes the same time.
How long an EICR takes for a 3-bedroom house
Bedrooms are a rough guide; circuits decide it. For a 3-bed house, plan on the half day and expect longer if:
- There is more than one consumer unit
- An extension, loft conversion or outbuilding has added circuits
- The home is occupied, the board is boxed in or sockets sit behind heavy furniture
Parts of the test need the power off, so plan for periods without electricity. An empty property between tenancies is the quickest to test.
Guide prices start from £120 for a 1-bed flat, including VAT. Our breakdown of EICR certificate cost by property size covers the rest, and our guide to what an EICR report means walks through the inspection and the codes. To book, call 07727 619854.
Frequently asked questions
No. The law requires an inspection at least every five years, not at each tenancy, provided the current report is still in date. The new tenant must be given a copy before they move in.
Until the next inspection date printed on the report, not a fixed term. That is at most five years for a rented home or HMO, and up to ten years under guidance for an owner-occupied home, unless the electrician sets a shorter interval.
A council can impose a financial penalty of up to £40,000 on a private landlord who breaches the 2020 Regulations. It can also arrange the remedial work itself and recover the cost.
At least every five years, the same as any other private rented home, or sooner if the last report recommends it. Check the HMO licence too, as it can add conditions of its own.
Electrical Safety First puts a typical domestic EICR at around three to four hours and advises allowing half a day. Homes with more circuits or more than one consumer unit take longer, since every circuit is tested.