Kingston's houses and what an EICR looks for
Six in ten Kingston households lived in a house at the 2021 Census, and nearly a third of all households in a semi-detached one. The borough's homes grew in two main waves, and each leaves its mark on an EICR.
Surbiton came first. The railway ran through it in 1838 on its way from London to Portsmouth, and farmland quickly turned into a Victorian suburb. Large villas are part of its character. Where one has been divided into flats, expect several meters, a consumer unit for each flat and a shared supply for the hallway, with older circuits that do not always follow the new layout.
The bigger wave came between the wars. Berrylands was farmland until the early 1930s, then filled with long avenues of mostly semi-detached houses, many pebbledashed or rendered, and the Tudor Estate in the north of the borough was finished in the mid-1930s. By now many of these houses have been rewired and extended, with loft rooms, garages and garden offices adding circuits of their own. The EICR checks those alongside the original wiring, records whether circuits have RCD protection (the safety switch that cuts the power in a fault) and checks the main bonding to gas and water pipes.
Letting a property in Kingston
Just over a quarter of Kingston households rent privately. The council runs no selective or additional licensing, so most rented homes need no licence, but the national rules apply to every private tenancy. You must have the installation inspected and tested at least every five years by a qualified person, give tenants a copy within 28 days and send one to the council within seven days if it asks. 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.
Shared houses with five or more people from two or more households need a mandatory HMO licence, and the application asks for proof that the electrical installation is safe.
Before the visit
Tell us about outbuildings, loft rooms and any car charger when you book, and whether your tenants will be in. The power goes off for short periods during testing, so it helps if everyone knows in advance. Book online or call 07301 010244 to choose a date.
