HMO electrical safety in London: EICRs and licensing

HMO landlords need an EICR at least every five years, just like any landlord in England — and the report must go to every tenant, and to the council if it asks. On top of that, most London HMOs need a licence, and HMO licence applications and conditions commonly require a valid EICR.

What makes a property an HMO

A house in multiple occupation is, broadly, a property rented out to at least three people who aren’t one household (a family, for example) but share facilities such as a kitchen or bathroom.

• Mandatory licensing applies to HMOs with five or more people from two or more households — the rule since 1 October 2018. Purpose-built blocks of three or more self-contained flats are excluded.
• Additional licensing lets councils bring smaller HMOs into licensing, and many London boroughs use it.
• Selective licensing covers ordinary single-household lets in some areas.

The electrical safety rules for HMOs

The HMO management regulations used to have their own five-yearly electrical rule (regulation 6(3) of the 2006 regulations). It was deleted on 1 June 2020, and HMOs now follow the 2020 electrical safety regulations like any other rented home. Your licence conditions may ask for more than the basic alarm rules, so read them carefully — and see our smoke and heat alarm installation service if you need alarms fitted.

For every landlord duty in one place, see EICR for landlords; for what councils can do when things go wrong, see landlord EICR fines.

Why HMOs need extra care

An HMO puts more demand on its electrics than a family home of the same size. Shared kitchens run several cookers, kettles and microwaves at once; each bedroom has its own heaters, chargers and computers, often on extension leads; and tenants come and go, bringing appliances the landlord never sees. Faults found in HMOs often come from this kind of wear and overloading — scorched sockets, damaged accessories and cables disturbed by furniture moves. That’s why the inspection needs access to every room, not just the shared areas.

What an HMO inspection covers

An HMO EICR covers the whole fixed installation, including:

• every consumer unit — HMOs often have more than one, sometimes one per floor or per flat;
• the circuits in each bedroom and in the shared kitchens, bathrooms, landings and hallways;
• outbuildings, garden lighting and outdoor sockets;
• the circuits that supply the fire alarm and emergency lighting systems.

The fire alarm and emergency lighting systems themselves are tested under their own standards. We can test emergency lighting at the same visit.

A worked example

A five-bedroom house is let to five sharers from different households, so it needs a mandatory licence. It has two consumer units — one for the original house and one added with a loft conversion.

• Before the licence application: the landlord books an EICR covering both boards, every bedroom, the shared kitchen and bathroom, the landings and the fire alarm circuit.
• The report: one C2 (signs of overheating at a socket in the shared kitchen) and two C3s. The report is unsatisfactory, so the landlord has the socket repaired within 28 days of the inspection and gets written confirmation.
• Paperwork: each of the five tenants gets a copy of the report within 28 days of the inspection. The written confirmation and the report go to all five tenants and the council within 28 days of the work being finished, and the report goes in with the licence application.
• Appliances: the landlord has the supplied kettle, microwave, toaster and washing machine PAT tested, so they can give the council a safety declaration if asked.

Licensing in London

Licensing varies across London. Some boroughs license all HMOs through additional licensing, some only in certain wards, and some also license single-household lets through selective licensing. Application requirements and licence conditions differ too. Our area pages summarise each council’s current scheme.

Managing access in a shared house

• Tell every tenant in writing when the inspection will happen, and that the power will be off for short periods.
• Arrange access to every bedroom — locked rooms can’t be inspected and will be listed as limitations on the report.
• Keep records of every request. If a tenant refuses access, the regulations give you a defence if you can show you took all reasonable steps to comply.

We arrange access with your tenants or agent.

If you rent a room in an HMO

You’re entitled to your own copy of the EICR within 28 days of the inspection, or before you move in. Let the electrician into your room on the day — locked rooms can’t be checked — and tell your landlord promptly about warm sockets, scorch marks or breakers that keep tripping. Avoid chaining extension leads together. If the landlord isn’t following the rules, the council’s private housing team can step in.

Common mistakes

• One copy for the whole house. Each tenant is entitled to their own copy.
• Missing a consumer unit. Every board must be inspected — including one in a loft, cellar or outbuilding.
• Letting the EICR and the licence drift apart. Diary both dates, so a current report is always ready for a renewal.
• Forgetting the appliances. The licence condition covers the appliances you supply.
• Relying on the old 2006 rule instead of the 2020 regulations.

Key points

• HMOs follow the same five-yearly EICR rule as every rented home.
• Every tenant gets a copy of the report; the council gets one if it asks.
• HMO licences require supplied appliances to be kept safe, and councils commonly ask for a current EICR.
• The inspection covers every consumer unit, room and shared area, plus the fire alarm and emergency lighting circuits.

Book your HMO EICR

We arrange access with your tenants or agent, test every circuit to BS 7671 and email you the report as a PDF, ready for your licence application. We confirm the price for your property before you book, and nothing is booked until we call to confirm. See our HMO EICR service, see your price, or call us on 07301 010244.