Home / Help / Compliance and safety

Is an EICR compulsory for landlords?

By the VoxaMTD team. Last verified 31 October 2026

Yes, for most private rentals in England. Landlords must have the fixed electrical installation inspected and tested at least every 5 years by a competent person, and supply tenants with a copy of the report. The duty applies where a tenant rents the home as their only or main residence and pays rent.

Copies have deadlines. Give an existing tenant the report within 28 days of the inspection, and give a new tenant a copy before they occupy the premises. A prospective tenant who asks must have a copy within 28 days of the request, and the local council can ask for a copy, which you must supply within 7 days. If the report requires remedial work, complete it within 28 days or any shorter period the report specifies.

The guidance lists exclusions, including shared accommodation with the landlord or the landlord's family, long leases, student halls, hostels, care homes, and mobile homes or boats. Councils enforce the rules and can impose a financial penalty on landlords who fail to comply. This answer covers England.

Read next

Sources

More on compliance and safety

Keep your certificates and renewal dates in one place

VoxaMTD's paid landlord plans, from £8.99 a month, keep your gas, electrical, EPC, deposit and Right to Rent records on their own renewal cycles, with reminders. Every new account gets a 7-day free trial of the paid features when you sign up, with no card needed.

Try it now →

General information, not tax or legal advice. Rules differ between England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.