If you let a house, flat or HMO in Stockport, you need a valid Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) covering the fixed wiring. Five years is the most a report can last, and plenty of properties need one sooner. This guide covers how often to test, what the rules ask of you, and how to keep remedial work from dragging on.
Under the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020, private landlords must have the electrical installation inspected and tested by a qualified and competent person at least every five years. This covers most assured shorthold tenancies, licences to occupy and HMOs.
Five years is the longest a report can last, not a fixed date. The inspector can set a shorter interval on the report, and you have to keep to it. Older installations, properties with a high tenant turnover and HMOs are often given three years or less. If the report says three years, then three years is your legal deadline.
Getting the inspection done is only half of it. The regulations also set deadlines for sharing the report, and Stockport Council, as the local housing authority, can ask to see it. Miss these and you can be in breach even if the wiring itself is fine.
Every observation on an EICR gets a code. C1 means danger is present and the inspector should make it safe straight away, usually before leaving. C2 means potentially dangerous. FI means further investigation is needed without delay. Any C1, C2 or FI gives the report an unsatisfactory result. C3 is only a recommendation for improvement and does not cause a fail on its own.
With an unsatisfactory report, you must have the remedial or investigative work done within 28 days, or sooner if the report says so. Then, within 28 days of the work being finished, you must give written confirmation to the tenant and to the council. Councils can impose financial penalties of up to £30,000 for breaches, so keep those dates in view.
In older housing, which includes a lot of Stockport's terraced and pre-war stock, common C2 findings are missing RCD protection, ageing fuse boards, damaged accessories, poor earthing and bonding, and DIY alterations from past tenants or owners.
The cost of an EICR depends on how big the property is, how many circuits it has, how easy it is to get at the consumer unit and wiring, and whether it is a single let or an HMO. A small flat might be roughly £150 to £250, a typical family house a little more, and a larger HMO with several boards noticeably higher. Remedial work is priced on top, based on what is found.
Book the inspection a few weeks before the current report runs out, not on the deadline. That leaves room to fix any C2 items within the 28 days without rushing. Give tenants notice, make sure every room can be reached, and plan for the power to go off for short periods during testing.
A void period between tenancies is often the best moment to deal with an installation that keeps picking up C2 and C3 observations. If you are refitting a kitchen or bathroom, or doing a full refurbishment, it can cost less overall to rewire or upgrade the consumer unit while the walls and floors are open. Then test once the work is finished, so the new report reflects the installation as it now stands.
Investors buying older properties around Stockport may find it worth getting an EICR before the purchase completes, or straight after. It shows the real condition of the wiring and makes refurbishment budgets more accurate.
No. A new tenancy does not need a new report as long as the existing EICR is still in date and satisfactory. You just give the new tenant a copy before they move in.
The regulations set five years as the maximum, but inspectors often give HMOs a shorter interval because they get heavier use and more tenant turnover. Whatever interval is written on your report is the one you must follow, along with any conditions in your HMO licence.
You have 28 days to have the C1, C2 and FI items put right, or less if the report says so. You then send written confirmation of the completed work to your tenants and the council within 28 days.
A quick call with Gary is usually enough to establish scope. For anything more involved, we’ll come out to measure up at a time that suits you.