EICRs, electrical testing and certification

The report itself says when the next inspection is due. For a rented home that's at most five years, or sooner if the report recommends it. For a home you own and live in, the usual recommendation is every ten years, and it's worth having one when you buy or sell.

In England, at least every five years, or sooner if the previous report says so. A new tenancy needs a report that's still in date.

It isn't a fail so much as unsatisfactory: the report lists what needs putting right. Once the C1, C2 and FI items are sorted and re-tested, a satisfactory report is issued.

Someone needs to let us in, and the power will be off for parts of the test. Tenants are fine as long as they know it's happening.

Our EICRs start from £150 + VAT. The final price depends on the size of the property and how many circuits it has, and we confirm it before booking in. If the report finds anything that needs fixing, that's quoted separately.

It's the everyday name for a satisfactory Electrical Installation Condition Report, which current regulations require every rental property to hold. It's the same report and the same test; landlords just tend to use the other name.