How long is an EICR valid?

Landlords of most residential tenancies in England where the tenant lives in the home as their only or main residence and pays rent. This includes houses in multiple occupation. Some lets are excluded, such as lodgers who share with the landlord or their family, long leases of 7 years or more, student halls, hostels and refuges, and care homes. Since 1 November 2025 the rules also cover social housing, phased in by tenancy start date.

• Once the 5-year date (or the earlier date on the report) passes while the home is let, the landlord is in breach of regulation 3.
• The local council can serve a remedial notice. For urgent work it can, with the tenant’s consent, arrange the work itself after giving 48 hours’ notice.
• The council can impose a financial penalty of up to £40,000 per breach. The cap in the original 2020 regulations was £30,000.
• A landlord who can show they took all reasonable steps to comply, for example repeated written attempts to arrange access, is not in breach of certain duties. Keep that evidence.

1. 1

   Choose a qualified inspector

   Government guidance points landlords to the Registered Competent Person Electrical register and Electrical Safety First’s electrician finder.

2. 2

   Arrange access in writing

   Agree a date with your tenant by email or letter, and keep the messages. They are your evidence if access is refused.

3. 3

   Read the result, not just the cover page

   C1 or C2 means the installation is unsatisfactory and remedial work is required. FI means further investigation is needed without delay. C3 is an improvement recommendation.

4. 4

   Fix anything flagged within 28 days

   Or sooner if the report says so. Get written confirmation from the qualified person that the work is done.

5. 5

   Send the paperwork

   Give the report to existing tenants within 28 days of the inspection. Send the written confirmation of remedial work, with the report, to tenants and the council within 28 days of finishing the work.

6. 6

   Record the next due date

   Five years from the inspection date, or the earlier date on the report. Put reminders on it now.

A simple reminder plan: 90 days, 60 days, 30 days, 7 days before the expiry date. The calculator above puts these in your calendar.

• The current EICR. The law says to keep it until the next inspection is due and give a copy to the next inspector.
• Written confirmation from the qualified person for any remedial or further investigative work.
• Proof each tenant received the report, such as the dated email with the PDF attached.
• Your written attempts to arrange access, if a tenant delayed or refused it.
• The inspector’s name and competent person scheme registration.

• Counting 5 years from the tenancy start instead of the inspection date.
• Missing an earlier re-inspection date written on the report. That date, not the 5-year mark, is the deadline.
• Filing a report with C1, C2 or FI codes without booking the work. The report is unsatisfactory until it is fixed.
• Forgetting to give new tenants a copy before they move in, or existing tenants within 28 days.
• Not sending the remedial work confirmation to the council.
• Paying for a new inspection at every change of tenant when the current report is under 5 years old and needs no further work.