Croydon's housing and what it means for an EICR
Croydon has a bit of everything. Thornton Heath grew quickly after its station opened in 1862, with streets of terraced houses, and there are similar Victorian terraces in Selhurst and Broad Green. Interwar estates of semi-detached houses followed, and to the south the hillsides of Purley and Coulsdon filled with larger houses on bigger plots. New Addington and Fieldway were built as council estates in the 20th century, mixing houses with mid-rise and tower blocks, and in the town centre many offices have been converted into flats.
At the 2021 Census, a quarter of households lived in a semi, nearly a quarter in a terraced house and about one in eight in a detached house. Each type raises different points on an EICR:
- Victorian terraces are often split into flats, with several meters and consumer units and, in older conversions, missing or undersized bonding to gas and water pipes.
- Interwar semis may have a newer consumer unit alongside older circuits, with extensions and loft rooms wired at different times.
- Larger houses on the southern hills can have more than one consumer unit, long cable runs to garages and outbuildings, and garden lighting.
- Flats in converted offices often draw power from a shared intake, with the fire alarm and emergency lighting run by the building rather than the flat.
In every case the electrician tests each circuit and records whether it has RCD protection, the safety switch that cuts the power in a fault.
Letting a property in Croydon
About a quarter of Croydon households rent privately. Every private landlord in England must have the installation inspected and tested at least every five years by a qualified person, and give tenants a copy within 28 days. Fix anything coded C1 or C2, and any further investigation the report asks for, within 28 days, or sooner if the report says so. Councils can fine landlords up to £40,000.
From 25 September 2026, Croydon adds licensing: most rented homes in 14 wards need a selective licence, and smaller HMOs need an additional licence anywhere in the borough. The council asks for an EICR with each application, and the licence conditions require a new one every five years. If your current report is unsatisfactory, book the remedial work first so your paperwork is complete when you apply. Book online or call 07301 010244 to arrange your inspection.
