How often do you need an EICR?

Landlords in England must have an EICR at least every five years — or sooner if the last report says so. That applies to private landlords and, since December 2025, social landlords. For everyone else there’s no fixed legal deadline, but IET guidance recommends an inspection every ten years for an owner-occupied home and every five years for business premises. It also makes sense to have one when you buy or sell a home.

Recommended maximum intervals

These are the usual maximum intervals from IET Guidance Note 3, the guidance electricians work to. For rented homes, the five-year maximum is also the law. The inspector can recommend a shorter interval if the condition of the installation calls for it.

The IET guidance also suggests an inspection when a rented home changes occupancy. The law is more relaxed: a new tenancy doesn’t need a new EICR if the current report is less than five years old and nothing on it is outstanding.

Why intervals matter

Electrical installations don’t fail overnight, but they do wear. Connections loosen, cables get damaged during building work, damp gets into outdoor fittings, and DIY alterations add risks nobody recorded. A rented home sees more of this than most: different occupiers, more appliances and less day-to-day attention from the owner. It’s one reason the recommended interval is shorter for rented homes and businesses than for a home you live in and look after yourself. Regular testing catches deterioration while it’s still a C3 or a small C2 — not after something has overheated.

How the date on your report works

Every EICR states when the next inspection should happen. For landlords, the deadline is whichever comes first:

• five years from the date of the last inspection, or
• the date given on the report, if it’s sooner.

The five years run from the inspection — not from the start of a tenancy or the day you received the report.

Worked examples

A rented two-bed flat. It was inspected in March 2022, and the report recommends the next inspection in five years, so it’s due by March 2027. When new tenants moved in during 2025, the landlord gave them a copy of the 2022 report before they moved in. No new inspection was needed, because nothing on the report was outstanding.

An older rented house. The inspector sets a three-year interval because the wiring is ageing. The landlord must follow that shorter interval — five years is the maximum, not a target.

An owner-occupied house. The owners bought in 2014 and have never had the electrics checked. At more than ten years, an inspection is overdue under the IET guidance — and worth doing before any renovation.

A licensed HMO. The landlord’s licence is due for renewal next spring, and the current EICR will be four and a half years old by then. Rather than send a report that runs out a few months later, they book a new inspection ahead of the application, so a fresh report goes in with it and the five-year cycle restarts.

When you should get one sooner

• The report says so. Go by the date the inspector set.
• You’re buying or selling. An EICR tells a buyer what state the wiring is in. See EICRs when selling or buying.
• There’s been damage. After a flood, a fire or signs of overheating, get the installation checked.
• The home has changed. An extension, loft conversion or new kitchen changes how the electrics are used.
• You’re planning a renovation. It’s cheaper to deal with problems before the new plaster goes on.
• You notice warning signs — flickering lights, breakers that keep tripping, scorch marks, buzzing sockets or a burning smell.
• The property has stood empty for a long time before being lived in or let again.

Landlords: tenancies, licensing and the register

The 2020 regulations work on a five-year cycle, not on each new tenancy — but there must be a valid report in place before each tenancy starts. Social landlords with tenancies that began before 1 December 2025 must have the first inspection done before 1 November 2026.

Some HMO and selective licensing schemes have their own requirements, so check your borough — our area pages summarise the rules. Looking ahead, London’s part of the new landlord register is planned to open on 15 July 2027, and each property entry is expected to need the current EICR and its expiry date. See EICR for landlords for every duty, and HMO electrical safety for shared houses.

Homeowners

No law makes you inspect your own home, but ten years is the recommended maximum — sooner for an older installation or after any of the triggers above. A recent satisfactory report is also useful paperwork when you come to sell. See our homeowner EICR service.

Businesses

The IET guidance suggests five years for business premises, or sooner if the last report recommends it. Some installations have shorter recommended intervals, such as swimming pools every year. See our commercial EICR service.

What each reader should do

Landlords: find the date on your current report, diary a reminder a few months before it, and check that every tenant has had a copy. If the report set a shorter interval, work to that.

Homeowners: if your last inspection was more than ten years ago — or you’ve never had one — book an EICR, especially before buying, selling or renovating.

Tenants: your landlord must have the electrics inspected at least every five years and give you a copy of the report. Check the date of the next inspection on it; if the report is out of date, ask your landlord about it.

Common mistakes

• Counting from the tenancy start date instead of the last inspection.
• Ignoring a shorter interval written on the report.
• Assuming the ten-year figure applies to a let property. It doesn’t — rented homes are five years at most.
• Letting a report run out between tenancies, so the next tenant can’t be given a valid copy.
• Not checking the report when you buy a rented property — once you’re the landlord, the duties are yours.

Key points

• Rented homes and HMOs: at least every five years by law, or sooner if the report says so.
• Owner-occupied homes: every ten years is the recommended maximum.
• Business premises: every five years is recommended.
• The report sets the next date — follow it if it’s sooner.

Book your next inspection

Find the date of your next inspection on your current report and book before it runs out. We test every circuit to BS 7671 and email you the report as a PDF, with the next inspection date stated on it. See our landlord EICR service, see your price — including VAT — before you book, or call us on 07301 010244.