There’s a lot of loose talk online about “the new EICR law,” so it’s worth being precise about what’s actually in force, who it applies to, and what’s genuinely changed recently.
The Core Law for Rented Property
The relevant legislation is the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020, which came into force for new tenancies from 1 July 2020 and for all existing tenancies from 1 April 2021. It requires:
Every electrical installation in a private rented property in England to be inspected and tested by a qualified person at intervals of no more than five years, or sooner if the previous report specifies an earlier date. A copy of the resulting EICR to be given to tenants within 28 days of the inspection, and to a new tenant before they move in. Any remedial work identified by the report – C1 or C2 observations – to be carried out within 28 days, or sooner if the report requires it, with written confirmation provided once it’s done. A copy of the report to be provided to the local housing authority within 7 days if they request it.
What’s Actually New: The Social Housing Extension
The one genuine recent change is the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) (Amendment) (Extension to the Social Rented Sector) Regulations 2025, which brings registered social housing providers into essentially the same regime that private landlords have followed since 2020. New social housing tenancies are covered from 1 November 2025, and existing social tenancies need to be brought up to date by 1 May 2026 (with a longer backstop of 1 November 2026 for the very first inspection where none exists). This doesn’t change anything for private landlords – your existing five-year duty is unaffected – but it’s a useful sign that this framework is being extended and reinforced, not relaxed.
Penalties for Non-Compliance
Local authorities can impose a civil penalty of up to £30,000 on a landlord found to be in breach, following a formal notice of intent and a chance for the landlord to respond. This is a serious enforcement power, not a nominal fine, and it applies per breach – a landlord with several non-compliant properties can face multiple penalties.
Commercial and Industrial Properties: A Different Legal Basis
There’s no direct equivalent of the 2020 regulations for commercial premises. Instead, the duty comes from more general legislation – principally the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 and the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 – which require an employer or business owner to ensure their electrical systems are maintained in a safe condition, without specifying an exact inspection interval. In practice, an EICR is the standard, insurer-recognised way of demonstrating that duty has been met, with the right frequency (commonly one to five years) depending on the type of premises and how it’s used.
What This Means in Practice
If you’re a landlord, the position is unambiguous: get an EICR every five years at most, act on any C1 or C2 findings within 28 days, and keep the paperwork. If you’re a business, there’s more judgement involved, but “we’ve never had one done” is not a defensible position if something goes wrong. See how often you need an inspection and what an EICR actually involves for the practical detail.
Questions About Where You Stand?
Regulations are easier to make sense of when they’re applied to your actual property rather than read in the abstract. Get in touch and we’ll tell you plainly what’s required for your situation.