What the council's own figures say
An independent review of private renting, published with the council's 2026 licensing consultation, estimated around 32,000 privately rented homes in Greenwich, about a quarter of the borough's housing. The largest numbers are in Woolwich Arsenal and Plumstead & Glyndon wards. In council inspections of rented homes between November 2020 and November 2025, electrical hazards made up about 7% of the problems found.
From the Progress Estate to new-build blocks
Greenwich's homes span well over a century. Council tax records show more than one home in five was built before 1919, and more than a quarter in 2000 or later. In between sit estates such as the Progress Estate in Eltham, begun in 1915 as cottage-style housing for workers at the Royal Arsenal in Woolwich.
What that means on the day:
- In older terraces and cottage-style houses, the wiring has usually been replaced at least once, often with later additions for kitchens, lofts and extensions. The inspection looks hard at the consumer unit, earthing and bonding, and whether circuits have RCD protection, the trip switch that cuts the power when something goes wrong.
- In purpose-built flats, home to 43% of the borough's households, your EICR covers the flat's own installation. The rental regulations don't cover stairwells and corridors, which are for the building's management to maintain.
- A new-build flat comes with an Electrical Installation Certificate, and the first EICR isn't due until five years after that certificate was issued.
Letting a property in Greenwich
National law sets the baseline. Private landlords in England must arrange an inspection and test of the electrical installation at least every five years by a qualified and competent person, pass a copy of the report to their tenants, and put right any C1 or C2 item, as well as any further investigation the report asks for, within 28 days or sooner if the report says so. Breaking these rules can lead to a council penalty of up to £40,000.
In Greenwich, every HMO also needs a licence, and the HMO licence conditions repeat the five-yearly check. Homes let to a single household need a selective licence in five wards around Woolwich, Plumstead and Shooters Hill, and the council is consulting until 12 October 2026 on extending that to 18 wards, with a Cabinet decision expected towards the end of the year.
