One of the most common questions about EICR inspections is simply: how often do I need one? The answer depends on the type of property, how it is used, and in some cases what the law requires. For landlords, the answer is clear and legally binding. For owner-occupiers, there is no legal obligation but there are well-established guidelines that any responsible homeowner should be aware of.
In this guide we explain the recommended and legally required frequencies for EICR inspections across all property types, and we cover the specific circumstances that should trigger an inspection regardless of when the last one took place.
What the Law Says for Private Landlords
For private landlords renting out residential property in England, EICR inspections are not optional. The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 introduced a mandatory requirement for electrical inspections of all privately rented properties. These regulations came into force on 1 July 2020 for new tenancies and were extended to all existing tenancies from 1 April 2021.
Under these regulations, landlords must ensure that the electrical installation in their rental property is inspected and tested at least once every five years by a qualified and competent person. At the end of each inspection, the electrician must produce an Electrical Installation Condition Report and the landlord is required to provide a copy to existing tenants within 28 days of receiving it, to new tenants before they move in, and to prospective tenants within 28 days of a written request.
Importantly, a change of tenancy does not reset the five-year clock in isolation. If your property had an EICR in 2022 and a new tenancy begins in 2024, the next inspection is still due by 2027. However, many landlords choose to carry out a fresh EICR at each change of tenancy regardless, as it provides a clean paper trail and confirms the property was safe at the point the tenancy began. This is particularly useful if any dispute arises later regarding the condition of the property.
The penalty for failing to comply with the regulations is significant. Local authorities have the power to impose a financial penalty of up to £30,000 per breach. A breach can include failing to carry out the inspection, failing to provide the report to tenants, or failing to carry out remedial works identified in the report within the specified timescales.
If you are a landlord in Exeter and are unsure whether your property is compliant, the straightforward answer is to book an inspection. Our landlord electrician service is designed specifically to help Exeter landlords manage EICR compliance efficiently, including portfolio bookings for those with multiple properties.
Owner-Occupiers: No Legal Requirement, But a Clear Recommendation
If you own and live in your own home, there is currently no legal requirement to have an EICR. The 2020 regulations apply only to the private rented sector. However, just because something is not legally required does not mean it is not important. Electrical installations degrade over time, components age and can become hazardous, and older properties in particular may have wiring that does not meet modern safety standards.
The current guidance from the UK's electrical industry, set out by the Institution of Engineering and Technology in the wiring regulations (BS 7671), recommends that owner-occupied properties have an EICR carried out at least once every ten years. This is a recommended maximum interval, not a mandatory one — and many electricians and insurers would argue that older properties, or those that have undergone significant alterations, should be inspected more frequently.
For most homeowners in Exeter, the practical trigger for an EICR is either moving into a property where the electrical history is unknown, undertaking significant renovation work, or being advised to have one by a surveyor. We cover each of these triggers in more detail below.
Older Properties: More Frequent Inspections Are Advisable
The ten-year recommendation for owner-occupiers assumes a reasonably modern electrical installation. If your home has older wiring — particularly rubber-insulated cables from the 1960s or 1970s, or aluminium wiring from the same era — the risk profile is very different and more frequent inspections are strongly advisable.
Rubber-insulated cables degrade over time. The insulation becomes brittle and can crack, exposing conductors and creating a risk of short circuits and fire. If a property has this type of wiring, an EICR every five years or even sooner would be appropriate until the wiring is replaced. Many such properties will receive a C2 or C1 code at inspection, indicating that a full or partial rewire is necessary.
Devon has a significant stock of pre-war and post-war housing, particularly in Exeter and the surrounding market towns. Many of these properties have had extensions added, kitchens refitted, and additional circuits added over the decades, sometimes by unqualified or only partially qualified workers. Each of these additions creates potential risk points that an EICR is designed to identify.
If you live in a property built before 1970 and have not had an EICR in the past five years, we would recommend booking one. An EICR in Exeter with a NICEIC-registered engineer will give you a clear picture of the current condition of your installation and what, if anything, needs to be done.
When Buying a Property
Buying a home is one of the most important triggers for an EICR, regardless of what documentation the seller provides. A homebuyer's survey will typically comment on the electrical installation but will not include a full inspection and test — it is a visual assessment only. A surveyor who identifies an old consumer unit or aging wiring will usually recommend that a qualified electrician carries out an EICR before exchange.
Even if a seller provides an EICR carried out in the past few years, it is worth understanding what that report says. If the property received a Satisfactory rating with only C3 observations, you can have reasonable confidence in the installation. If the report showed C2 observations that were remediated by further work, you should ask for written confirmation that the remedial works were completed by a qualified electrician.
If no EICR exists, or if the most recent one is more than five years old, we strongly recommend commissioning a fresh EICR as a condition of purchase or as one of your first actions after moving in. The cost is modest compared to the potential cost of remedial work you had not anticipated — or, in the worst case, the cost of dealing with an electrical fire in a home you have just purchased.
After Significant Electrical Work
Any significant electrical work carried out in a property should result in certification from the electrician who did the work. For Part P notifiable work — such as installing a new consumer unit, running new circuits, or electrical work in kitchens and bathrooms — the electrician must either self-certify through a competent person scheme like NICEIC, or notify the local authority before work begins.
If you have had significant electrical work done in the past and cannot locate the certificates, this is a good reason to commission an EICR. The EICR will assess the current state of the installation in its entirety, including any additions or alterations. It will not produce certificates for that specific work retrospectively, but it will give you a current assessment of whether the overall installation is safe.
It is also worth noting that significant electrical additions — particularly if you have added EV charger circuits, solar panel connections, or large kitchen extensions — may affect the overall load on the consumer unit and the earthing arrangements. These are all things that an EICR will pick up.
After a Flood or Fire
If a property has experienced a flood or a fire — even a small, contained one — the electrical installation must be inspected before the property is used again. Water and electricity are an extremely dangerous combination. Floodwater that has entered a property will inevitably come into contact with electrical circuits, sockets, and potentially the consumer unit. Even after the water has dried out, residual damage to cable insulation, connections, and circuit boards can create serious hazards.
Similarly, a fire — including a small kitchen fire or a chimney fire that has spread into a wall cavity — can damage wiring that is then concealed within the fabric of the building. The insulation on cables can melt without the cables being visibly damaged from the outside. An electrician must inspect and test the installation before it can be declared safe.
In these situations, do not assume the installation is safe just because it appears undamaged visually. Call a qualified electrician to assess the situation. This is a circumstance where a standard EICR appointment may not be appropriate — the electrician may need to isolate the supply before the inspection takes place — so call ahead to discuss what has happened.
Summary: Recommended EICR Frequencies by Property Type
To summarise the guidance above:
- Private rented residential (England): Every 5 years or at change of tenancy, whichever comes first. Legally required under the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020.
- Owner-occupied homes: Every 10 years recommended. No legal obligation but strongly advisable.
- Older properties (pre-1970): Every 5 years recommended due to higher risk from aging wiring.
- Commercial premises: Typically every 3–5 years depending on the nature of the occupation and any specific requirements from insurers.
- On purchase of a property: Immediately if no valid EICR exists or the most recent is over 5 years old.
- After flood or fire: Before using the property again, regardless of when the last EICR was done.
- After major electrical alterations: Consider commissioning an EICR if certificates from the work cannot be located.
If you are a landlord in Exeter with one or more rental properties, compliance with the 2020 regulations is not something to defer. The penalties for non-compliance are substantial and the local authority has the power to take enforcement action. If you are an owner-occupier who has never had an EICR, or whose last inspection was more than a decade ago, now is a sensible time to book one.
You can book an EICR in Exeter with a NICEIC-registered engineer through our booking service, or if you are a landlord with multiple properties visit our landlord electrician page to discuss portfolio scheduling.