Homes in Hammersmith and Fulham and what they mean for an EICR
This is a borough of Victorian streets. Council tax records date nearly half its homes to before 1900, and fewer than 6% of households live in a detached or semi-detached house. About three-quarters live in flats: almost half of all households in purpose-built blocks, and a quarter in converted houses.
Conversions can be the trickiest homes to inspect. Each flat may have its own consumer unit (fuse board), but the building's history shows through: circuits extended through floors during past refurbishments, bonding missing where a kitchen or bathroom was moved, and small consumer units squeezed into cupboards or under the stairs. Lower-ground flats can add damp to the list, so the electrician looks closely at sockets and fittings near outside walls.
In a purpose-built block the flat's own installation is usually simpler. Stairwells, lifts and the door entry run from the building's landlord supply, which sits outside your flat's report.
Letting a property in Hammersmith and Fulham
H&F runs all three types of licensing. HMOs (houses in multiple occupation) with five or more people need a mandatory licence, and those with three or four need an additional licence anywhere in the borough. Other private lets need a selective licence on 24 named streets, including Uxbridge Road, Goldhawk Road, King Street, Fulham Road and North End Road. Both discretionary schemes run until 4 June 2027.
The council's HMO licence conditions are specific about the EICR. It must be renewed at least every five years by an electrician registered with a trade body accredited by UKAS, the UK's national accreditation body. The test must cover every fixed wiring circuit, and the report must reach the council within 14 days of a written request. On the selective streets, the council's standards ask for a satisfactory EICR under five years old at the start of every tenancy.
Across the borough, the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 apply too: inspection and testing at least every five years by a qualified, competent person, a copy of the report for your tenants, and anything coded C1 or C2 (danger present or potentially dangerous), along with any further investigation the report asks for, dealt with within 28 days or sooner if the report says so.
