Electrical Installation Condition Reports (EICR)
On 1st July 2020, new legislation was introduced regarding Electrical Installations for BTL properties.
Prior to this, as long as you had an EICR certificate that was under 10 years old, you were fine. Then on 1st July 2020, the rules changed and from that point an EICR had to be less than 5 years old. If you did not have this, as a landlord, your property was seen as ‘non-compliant’! From this point, every new tenancy also needed a new electrical inspection report, that was done within the preceding 5 years. Three years further on and Locate Property are still buying houses from landlords that have out of date EICRs, then having to complete electrical upgrades before the properties can be rented out!
(EICR) Electrical installation condition reports are now a key part of electrical safety, Landlords have the responsibility to ensure that a tenanted property has an electrical installation that is safe to use by its tenants. There is now a legal onus on all landlords to have an electrical installation condition report in place. They will have to be able to provide this to the tenant, managing agent or local authority within 30 days should they ask.
Also, back in early 2021, the Government also laid down the law saying that all existing tenancies would require a EICR report by April 2021, over two years ago!! Back in March 2021, I said ‘this is where it becomes tricky and many landlords will potentially miss this’. However, I did not realise how right I would be. The issue was, if your BTL property has an EICR that was near to 10 years old, this increased the likelihood of further electrical work that needs to be undertaken. This work is much easier between tenancies as works can often take several days and can become rather messy with plaster being hacked off walls and sometimes the mains board will need to be replaced. This is much harder to action with a tenant in situ and many landlords may find tenants unwilling to agree to such works if it means being without power for a short or prolonged period, plus having to live around mess and redecoration. Similarly, some landlords would not want to disrupt a tenant’s ‘quiet enjoyment’ of their property. This has inevitably meant that many properties have fallen into ‘non-compliance’.
With the laws now changed in England regarding (EICR) electrical installation condition reports, be sure not to get caught out and get the advice required asap. If you do not get this in place you could be placed in trouble if caught out.
If you do not have the correct (EICR), in place, the authorities can impose large fines and possible prison sentences.
What is an EICR report?
Electrical Installation condition reports (EICR) are provided as an official document given after an assessment by a qualified engineer or electrician. The assessment is based on the quality of your electrical installation, the electrics and cables will deteriorate over time. An electrical installation condition report should be carried out regularly and in accordance with BS7671. The average time given in BS7671 is 5 Years although this time is recommended and generally only given if the installation in good condition and is rented accommodation.
The periodic inspection report (the old version of the EICR) will notify about the status of the EICR. This will either be Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory. This will be based the condition of the installation. All defaults are usually noted on page 2 of the electrical installation condition report, all defaults on the electrical installation report can be explained at much more detail by our qualified engineers (Electricians) if required.
An Electrical installation condition report (EICR) will tell you the following:
If the electrical circuits are of good condition and safe to use
Whether or not there is risk of electric shock
Any defective electrical work that has been installed
Recommendations for the earthing within the building
An inspection of the condition of the consumer unit
This is just one part of ‘compliance’ that all landlords must have in place before they rent out a property. If you get this wrong, it can stop you evicting a tenant, even if they are in huge arrears; you can even be issued with large fines. If you are unsure of what the rules and regulations are, you need a company like Locate Property to help you. We source, refurbish, let and manage properties for multiple investors. We ensure that your properties are compliant and you have no worries going forward.
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