Since 1 April 2021 every privately rented property in England has needed an Electrical Installation Condition Report - EICR - at least every five years. On the Isle of Thanet, where roughly a third of the housing stock is in private rental at any one time and Cliftonville regen has pushed a wave of newly-let conversions through, the volume of EICR work is high. Here is what actually applies.
The five-year rule
An EICR is required for every private-rented tenancy in England:
- Before the start of a new tenancy, and at least every five years thereafter (whichever is sooner).
- Within 28 days of the report being issued, the landlord must supply a copy to the tenant.
- Within 7 days of a written request from Thanet District Council, the landlord must supply a copy.
- Where the report is unsatisfactory (any C1 or C2 code), the landlord has 28 days to complete the remedial work or shorter if specified.
Non-compliance can attract a civil penalty of up to £30,000 per property. TDC has an active private-rented sector team and does check.
What "unsatisfactory" means
An EICR is coded per BS 7671:2018 Amendment 2:
- C1 - danger present. Fix on the visit, if possible.
- C2 - potentially dangerous, urgent remedial. Report unsatisfactory until fixed.
- C3 - improvement recommended. Report remains satisfactory.
- FI - further investigation required.
Common Thanet C2 findings
Plastic consumer units on properties with lofted stairs (BS 7671:2018 requires metal enclosure); no RCD protection on socket circuits (pre-2008 boards); undersized main earthing conductor on older TT installs; missing supplementary bonding in bathrooms with electric showers. All routinely fixable at the same visit.
The 28-day window
If a C1 or C2 comes back, the clock starts. In our experience TDC will accept an "in-progress" letter from the electrician if the parts are on order and the schedule is set - but not an open-ended "will do soon". We quote remedial at the same visit as the EICR itself, so the paperwork is inside the window from day one.
Change of tenancy vs 5-year cycle
The regulation reads "at intervals of no more than five years, or as specified in the previous report, whichever is sooner." So if your previous EICR specified a 3-year re-inspection (which is unusual but happens on older installs), that's the interval that applies. Otherwise 5 years is the ceiling. Change of tenancy does not automatically require a new EICR unless the previous one is over 5 years old or was less than fully satisfactory.
Pre-purchase EICR
Different regime. Not statutory, but almost universally requested at the survey-flags stage on Thanet Victorian and Edwardian stock. Buyer commissions, buyer pays. A vendor's "electrical certificate" from a historic minor works is not an EICR. If a homebuyer report says "electrics look old," a full EICR is what your solicitor should be asking for before exchange.