Electrical Installation Condition Report

Landlords

There is a false belief that only gas installations require an annual safety check; In reality landlords are required by law to ensure that the electrical installation in a rented property is safe when tenants move in, and maintained to a safe standard throughout the tenancy. In a house of multi occupancy (HMO), a periodic inspection must be carried out every at least 5 years. In addition, in all lease agreements, there is a requirement to ensure that any appliance is in a safe condition.

As a landlord, if you do not fulfil your electrical safety obligations, you are not only failing to protect your tenants from risk of fire and other health hazards; You are also exposing yourself to significant financial risk, as a result of any resultant fire damage to the property, as well as the invalidation of your insurance policy.

123 Electricians recommends that all rental properties have adequate RCD protection and, as a minimum, have appliances checked, along with a visual inspection between tenancies. Although not required by law, we would also recommend that all rental properties undergo a periodic inspection at least every five years.

Periodic Inspection and Condition Reporting

An Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) is necessary whether you are a landlord or a private owner. This is because over time, with the wear and tear of regular use, any electrical installation will deteriorate: Connections can work loose (a potential fire hazard), equipment can become damaged, and building maintenance work can have an impact on the wiring.

A EICR will:

• Identify whether electrical circuits or equipment is overloaded.
• Identify potential electric shock risks and fire hazards.
• Find any defective DIY electrical work.
• Highlight any lack of earthing or bonding.
• Test any fixed electrical equipment to ensure they are safe: Fixed electrical equipment includes cables usually hidden in the fabric of the building (walls and ceilings), accessories (sockets, switches and light fittings) and the Consumer Unit (Fuse board).
• Identify departures from IET Regulation: BS7671.

An EICR will highlight any possible problems or faults, which are then are coded according to their risk factor: Where the EICR results indicate an unsatisfactory standard of installation (identified by a code C1 (‘Danger Present’), or C2 (‘Potentially Dangerous’)), remedial work will be necessary to rectify the issues before the installation can be deemed as satisfactory; Code C3 is described as ‘Improvement Required’, which means that it does not comply with current regulations but is not actually dangerous; Lastly code FI relates to further investigation required.

When remedial work is carried out, either an Electrical Installation Certificate, or a Minor Electrical Installation Works Certificate will be issued, and it will not be necessary to conduct a further EICR. Whether renting or selling a property these certificates will be invaluable.

Frequency of Periodic Inspections

Owner occupied homes should be inspected and tested at least every 10 years. However, rented properties suffer accelerated wear and tear, and should therefore be tested and inspected at intervals of no more than 5 years.

In the interim, a visual inspection should take place every time there is a change of tenancy to confirm the property is safe to re-let. This check should include a confirmation that there is no damage to accessories, no accessible live parts, no signs of overheating, and that the RCD’s are operating correctly.

Homes of Multiple Occupation (HMO) must be inspected and tested every 5 years, and if the Local Housing Authority requests a copy of the certificate it must be supplied within 7 days.

Fire Alarms and Emergency Lighting

The majority of fires in the home start in the kitchen, with the main source of ignition being cooking appliances. Electrical wiring and equipment can also be the root of a fire: Loose connections can produce arcing, as well as heating the terminations and conductors, which can lead to fire. Incorrectly selected fuses or circuit breakers can also lead to overheating of cables and ignite a fire.

To reduce the risk of harm, or even death, to occupants, you must: ensure that there is a fire alarm system installed, as well as emergency lighting where required, and that they are of the correct type for the property.

They should also be regularly tested and maintained.

Regulations require that private sector landlords install at least one smoke alarm on each storey of the premises. This will alert occupants to the presence of a fire in its early stages, and enable them to evacuate to a place of safety before the escape routes become blocked by smoke or directly affected by the fire.

Additionally, landlords are also required to install a carbon monoxide alarm in any room containing a solid fuel burning appliance (gas boiler). For owner occupier smoke alarms see ‘Full Rewire or Home Extension’.

Whatever your situation you can rely upon 123 Electricians to provide you with complete peace of mind. An EICR will provide you with an honest and up to date report of your installation. If requested, we will provide you with a free, no obligation quote for any remedial work, offering a competitive price.