Who pays for an EICR — landlord or tenant?

If you rent out a home in England, you — the landlord — pay for the EICR. The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector and Social Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 put the duty to have the installation inspected and tested on the landlord, and the Tenant Fees Act 2019 means the cost can’t be passed to the tenant as a fee. The same goes for any repairs the report says are needed.

Outside renting, the answer is simpler: whoever wants the report pays for it. Here is how it works in each situation.

Why the landlord pays

The 2020 regulations make the landlord responsible for:

• having the electrical installation inspected and tested by a qualified person at least every five years, or sooner if the report says so;
• giving copies of the report to existing tenants, new tenants and — if it asks — the council;
• carrying out any remedial work or further investigation the report requires within 28 days.

These are the landlord’s legal duties, and meeting them is part of the cost of letting a home. The same applies to HMOs and, since 1 December 2025, to social landlords.

Can a landlord or letting agent charge the tenant?

No. Under the Tenant Fees Act 2019, landlords and letting agents in England can only charge tenants the payments on a short permitted list:

• rent;
• a refundable tenancy deposit;
• a refundable holding deposit to reserve a property;
• a payment to change the tenancy when the tenant asks;
• a payment when the tenant doesn’t give the correct notice;
• payments towards utilities, communication services and council tax;
• a fee for late rent;
• a fee for replacing a lost key or security device.

The government’s guidance for landlords is blunt: “You cannot charge your tenant any payment that is not on this list.” An EICR isn’t on it — so there’s no “safety certificate fee”, no “compliance charge” and no admin fee for arranging the inspection.

That includes charging a tenant for a missed appointment. The only default fees the Act allows are for paying rent late and for replacing a lost key or security device — so if a tenant isn’t in when the electrician calls, the landlord rearranges and keeps a record of the attempt.

Breaking the ban can mean a penalty of up to £5,000 for a first breach, and up to £30,000 — or prosecution with an unlimited fine — for a repeat within five years.

If you’re a tenant and you’ve been charged, the government’s advice is to ask for the money back in writing and keep a record of the reply. Your council can investigate and help you get it back, and you can also apply to the First-tier Tribunal, which can order the landlord to repay it. Our guide to electrical safety rights for tenants explains what else you’re entitled to.

Who pays for the repairs?

The landlord. If the report is unsatisfactory, the regulations require the remedial work to be carried out by a qualified person within 28 days, or sooner if the report says so. You can choose any qualified electrician.

If a landlord ignores the report, the council can serve a remedial notice, or arrange urgent work itself with the tenant’s consent and recover the cost from the landlord — on top of a possible fine of up to £40,000. Getting the work done promptly is far simpler. See landlord EICR fines.

C3 items (improvement recommended) are different: the law doesn’t require them to be fixed, so whether to pay for them is the landlord’s choice. They’re often worth planning in when other work is being done.

Who pays for alarms and appliance testing?

Also the landlord. Since 1 October 2022, landlords in England must fit a smoke alarm on each storey used as living accommodation and a carbon monoxide alarm in any room with a fixed combustion appliance (except gas cookers), and check them on the first day of each new tenancy. If a home needs new alarms, see smoke alarm installation.

Private landlords aren’t required by the electrical safety regulations to test the appliances they supply, but if you provide a fridge, washing machine or microwave, PAT testing is a sensible way to show they’re safe — and, again, it’s a landlord’s cost, not the tenant’s.

Letting agents: who pays the agent?

An agent can’t charge the tenant anything for the EICR either — the Tenant Fees Act applies to letting agents as well as landlords. What the agent charges the landlord for arranging the inspection is down to the management agreement, so check what’s included. Our EICR checklist for letting agents covers the rest.

Who pays in other situations

On business premises, the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 put the duty on employers and the self-employed for the parts within their control — see EICRs for businesses.

How much you’ll pay

Our EICRs start at £90 inc VAT (£75 + VAT) for a studio to two-bedroom flat with one consumer unit. Larger homes, HMOs and properties with more than one consumer unit are priced by size, and you see the price — including VAT — before you book. The full list is on our prices page, and our guide to EICR costs in London explains what affects the price.

Remedial work is quoted separately, item by item, with no obligation to use us. Keep every invoice with your letting records; your accountant can tell you how to treat them for tax.

Key points

• Landlords pay for the EICR — it’s their legal duty under the 2020 regulations.
• The Tenant Fees Act 2019 stops landlords and agents charging tenants for it, including admin fees for arranging it.
• Landlords also pay for any remedial work the report requires.
• Homeowners, sellers and buyers pay for an EICR if they choose to get one.
• Communal areas and business premises depend on the lease.

Get your price

If you’re a landlord, see your price in a couple of minutes and choose a preferred date — nothing is booked until we call to confirm. We arrange access with your tenant or agent and email you a report that’s ready to pass on. Read more about our landlord EICR service, or call 07301 010244.