As a landlord, ensuring the safety of your tenants is both a legal and moral obligation. One key aspect of this responsibility is securing an electrical certificate landlord document, which confirms all the electrical installations within your property are safe and compliant with regulations.

In this comprehensive guide from the experts at LetsProtect, we’ll explain everything you need to know about being an electrical safety certificate landlord, the Landlord Electrical Certificate itself and the steps you need to follow to obtain one for your property.

What is a Landlord Electrical Certificate?

Often referred to as an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR), this vital piece of documentation is proof that the electrical installations in your property are safe to use and meet all required regulations. Before you can even consider renting out a property, you will need this document, along with other landlords certificates like your Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) and gas safety certificate. Having an electrical certificate for landlords is crucial to ensure your property meets all the necessary safety standards.

How do I obtain a Landlord Electrical Certificate?

Obtaining your Landlord Electrical Certificate is relatively straightforward. By following these steps, we’ll help you do this in no time at all and with the minimum of fuss:

1. Hiring a qualified electrician

The first step on the road to obtaining your electric certificate for landlords is hiring an electrician to inspect and test all the electrical installations in your property. However, to avoid any issues further down the line, you must ensure your electrician is registered with a government-approved Electrical Competent Person Scheme (CPS). The most common schemes are:

•  National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting (NICEIC)
•  ELECSA (since 2021, any electricians registered with ELECSA were automatically transferred to NICEIC)
•  NAPIT (National Association of Professional Inspectors and Testers)

All of the above schemes assess the competency of electricians, ensuring they are up to date with current electrical legislation. This also means they can issue you with a landlord electric certificate.

2. Schedule your electrical safety inspection

Agree a date and time to carry out the inspection at your property. At this point, it’s always helpful to provide your electrician with anything they might need to know about your property (e.g. location, its size, parking, etc.).

If tenants currently occupy your property, give them ample notice of the inspection date and time. This will help to ensure your electrician can access all parts of the property promptly and without any issue.

3. The electrical inspection

When your electrician arrives, they should know exactly what to inspect as part of the landlord electrical safety certificate process. This includes:

• Distribution boards
• Fixed wiring
• Lighting
• Sockets
• Switches

Understanding the landlord electrical safety certificate and what is checked is crucial. Checks will cover aspects such as wear and tear, defects and non-compliance with current regulations.

If you already have an EICR from the last test and inspection, you must supply your electrician with this as it will aid with their assessment and maintain your role as an electrical safety certificate landlord.

Electrical checks for landlords may also involve a discussion with your electrician about the age and condition of your property, the number of electrical appliances and, sometimes, your smoke detection system.

4. Requesting your Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) and fixing issues

Once the inspection has been completed, ask your electrician for a detailed Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR).

In this report, your electrician will highlight any issues, categorising them as follows:

• C1 (Danger present) — Immediate action required
• C2 (Potentially dangerous) — Urgent remedial action required
• C3 (Improvement recommended) — Non-urgent action required

IT IS VITAL THAT ANY C1 OR C2 ISSUES ARE DEALT WITH PROMPTLY BY A CERTIFIED ELECTRICIAN, EITHER WITHIN 28 DAYS OR A SPECIFIED PERIOD.

Once any remedial works have been completed, ask your electrician for written confirmation and update your EICR to reflect these changes. You will also need to confirm a date for the next inspection and test to ensure your landlord electric certificate remains valid.

Electric certificate for landlords: Your questions answered

To help you keep on top of your admin, we’ve pulled together all the most frequently asked questions about landlords certificates for electrics, along with comprehensive answers.  

Do I need to keep a record of my EICRs?

Yes. It’s absolutely vital that you keep a detailed record of all EICRs across any properties you own. Details should include:

• The date on which the inspection was carried out
• Who carried out the inspection and what (if any) issues were noted
• What (if any) remedial works were carried out and by whom

Keeping these records demonstrates compliance with regulations and ensures that your property is safe for tenants. This is essential for your electrical certificate landlord documentation and long-term safety planning.

How often do I need to provide a new EICR?

You will require a new EICR at intervals of no more than 5 years. This is outlined in The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020. It is, therefore, highly recommended that you make note of when your current EICR expires and book an inspection with your electrician well ahead of that time.

It is well worth conducting more regular inspections to ensure the safety of you and your tenants. Being proactive rather than reactive with your electrical checks for landlords allows you to identify any issues as they arise, ensuring your property remains safe and compliant.

What happens if I don’t obtain an EICR or keep it up to date?

Failure to obtain or maintain an up-to-date electrical certificate for landlords can have serious consequences. As well as the implications on your ability to let properties, there are heavy penalties for landlords who don’t comply with electrical regulations and don’t obtain the correct landlords certificates. These are covered off in The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020.

Do I need to supply a copy of the EICR to my tenants?

Yes, you will need to supply a copy of the most recent EICR to existing tenants within 28 days of the inspection and test, and to any new tenants before they begin living in your property. If any tenant requests an EICR in writing, you must supply it to them within 28 days. This transparency is part and parcel of maintaining trust and compliance regarding your electrical safety certificate landlord obligations.

What do I do if my local housing authority requests a copy of the EICR?

If your local housing authority requests a copy of the EICR in writing, you must supply it to them within 7 days. This is essential to comply with regulations and avoid any penalties related to your landlord electric certificate.

How much does a landlord electrical safety certificate cost?

If you’re keeping a close eye on your expenses, you’ll want to know how much a landlord electrical safety certificate costs. According to Checkatrade.com, a Landlord Electrical Certificate check will cost, on average, £212.50 in the UK in 2024. Of course, this cost can go up or down depending on numerous factors including the size of your property, the complexity of your electrical circuit board and the rate your electrician charges. The landlord electrical safety certificate cost may also vary depending on your geographical location.

How long does an electrical safety check take?

The electrical safety check itself can take on average between 2 and 4 hours. However, this wholly depends on the size of your property and the complexity of your electrics. You can also help things run smoothly by ensuring your electrician has easy access to all parts of your property. Only once this is complete can you obtain your electric certificate for landlords.

A complete guide to electrical certificates for landlords: In summary

By following the steps above, you can quickly and easily perform your electrical certificate landlord duties by obtaining your Landlord Electrical Certificate.

Ensuring your electrical installations comply with the latest regulations and keeping your landlord electric certificate up-to-date are fundamental parts of being a landlord. The safety of you and your tenants is of paramount importance. Regular electrical checks for landlords and staying informed about the landlord electrical safety certificate and what is checked will help you maintain a safe and profitable rental property.

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