EICR certificate cost 2026: prices, codes, what is checked
By TenancyDesk · Sources checked
An EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report) is the report an electrician writes after inspecting and testing a home’s fixed wiring. Published 2026 price guides put the EICR certificate cost at roughly £60 to £500 depending on property size and region. It takes about one to four hours, and a rented home in England needs one at least every five years.
- EICR stands for
- Electrical Installation Condition Report
- Typical cost
- About £60 to £500, by size and region
- Time on site
- About 1 to 4 hours
- Lasts
- Up to 5 years, or less if the report says so
- Codes that need action
- C1, C2 and FI
- Maximum penalty
- Up to £40,000
What is an EICR?
An EICR is an Electrical Installation Condition Report. That is the EICR meaning in full: a written report by an electrician who has inspected and tested the fixed electrical installation in a building, setting out what was found and when the next inspection is due.
People call it an EICR certificate, a landlord electrical safety certificate or an electrical safety report. They all mean the same document. It is a report with a result, so holding the paper is not the same as the installation being satisfactory.
In England a private landlord must have the installation inspected and tested at least every five years and give the tenant the report. This page covers what the inspection involves and what it costs. The legal duty, the deadlines and the tenant copies are set out in our guide to EICR rules for landlords. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own rules.
Sources: GOV.UK: electrical safety standards in the private and social rented sectors, guidance · Legislation: Electrical Safety Standards Regulations 2020, regulation 3
Landlord electrical safety certificate: what is checked?
The inspection covers the fixed electrical installation. The government’s guidance lists the wiring, the socket-outlets (plug sockets), the light fittings and the consumer unit (the fuse box), along with permanently connected equipment such as showers and extractor fans.
The guidance says the inspection will find out whether any electrical installations are overloaded, whether there are potential electric shock risks and fire hazards, whether there is any defective electrical work, and whether there is a lack of earthing or bonding. Earthing and bonding are the connections that let a fault cut the supply safely.
Plug-in appliances are not part of an EICR for a private landlord. The guidance says tenants are responsible for making sure their own electrical equipment is safe. GOV.UK separately says a landlord must make sure the appliances they supply, such as cookers and kettles, are safe. If you want supplied appliances tested at the same visit, ask for that to be quoted as a separate job.
Sources: GOV.UK: electrical safety standards in the private and social rented sectors, guidance · GOV.UK: your landlord’s safety responsibilities
Which rented homes need an EICR?
Most private rented homes in England need one, including houses in multiple occupation. The government’s guidance lists the lettings that fall outside the regulations: accommodation shared with the landlord or the landlord’s family, long leases of seven years or more and shared ownership, student halls of residence, hostels and refuges, care homes and hospitals, and mobile homes, caravans and boats.
The same regulations were extended to social housing from 1 November 2025, so councils and housing associations now work to the same five-year rule. If you are unsure whether a letting is covered, read the exclusions in the guidance before deciding that it is not.
Sources: GOV.UK: electrical safety standards in the private and social rented sectors, guidance
EICR codes: what C1, C2, C3 and FI mean
Each problem the electrician finds is given a classification code. The table uses the wording in the government’s guidance. Where a report shows C1 or C2, the installation is unsatisfactory for continued use and remedial work is required. FI means further investigation is required without delay. C3 is a recommendation and does not require work.
Where the report requires remedial work or further investigation, a qualified person must carry it out within 28 days, or within a shorter period if the report gives one. You then need written confirmation that the work was done, and a copy goes to the tenant and to the council within 28 days of the work.
| Code | Guidance wording | Must the landlord act? |
|---|---|---|
| C1 | Danger present. Risk of injury. | Yes: remedial work is required |
| C2 | Potentially dangerous. | Yes: remedial work is required |
| C3 | Improvement recommended. | No: remedial work is not required |
| FI | Further investigation required without delay. | Yes: investigation is required |
Sources: GOV.UK: electrical safety standards in the private and social rented sectors, guidance · Legislation: Electrical Safety Standards Regulations 2020, regulation 3
EICR certificate cost by property size
The EICR cost depends mainly on the size of the home and where it is. There is no set fee. Housekeep’s cost guide (updated May 2026) says an EICR normally costs between £60 and £300 including VAT. Fantastic Services’ 2026 guide is higher, from £120 for a studio outside London to £500 for a large house in London and the South East.
The table puts the two guides side by side. Both are published by companies that sell the service, and they do not agree with each other, so treat them as a rough range and get your own quotes. Housekeep’s London figures run from £60 to £150 for a studio up to £140 to £300 for five bedrooms or more.
These prices are for the inspection and the report. Any repair the report calls for is a separate job with its own price, and neither guide can tell you what that will be before the inspection has happened.
When you compare quotes, make sure they are for the same thing: a full inspection and test of the whole installation, with the written report included in the price. The government’s guidance does not set or cap the fee. A very low price is worth a question about how long the electrician expects to be on site, given the times in the next section.
| Property | Housekeep, outside London | Fantastic Services, outside London | Fantastic Services, London and South East |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio or 1-bed flat | £60 to £120 | £120 to £170 | £180 to £250 |
| 2-bed flat or small house | £80 to £140 | £140 to £220 | £220 to £300 |
| 3-bed house | £100 to £160 | £180 to £280 | £250 to £350 |
| 4-bed house | £120 to £180 | £220 to £330 | £300 to £400 |
| 5 bedrooms or more | £140 to £250 | £300 to £400 | £380 to £500 |
Sources: GOV.UK: electrical safety standards in the private and social rented sectors, guidance
How long does an EICR take?
An EICR takes about one to two hours in a flat and two to four hours in a typical house, according to Fantastic Services’ 2026 guide, which adds that larger or older properties take longer. The government’s guidance does not give a time.
The electrician needs to reach the consumer unit and the sockets, switches and light fittings in every room. Ask how long the power will be off during testing, and tell the tenant in good time so that they can plan around it.
- Give the tenant written notice of the date and time, and keep a copy of what you sent.
- Find the last report, or the Electrical Installation Certificate for a new or rewired home, and give it to the electrician. The regulations require you to pass the previous report to the next inspector.
- Ask the tenant to clear access to the consumer unit and to sockets hidden behind furniture.
- Get the quote in writing, saying what the price covers and whether it includes VAT.
- Ask for any remedial work to be quoted separately before it is started.
- Record the next inspection date shown on the report alongside your other dates, using our landlord certificates checklist.
Sources: Legislation: Electrical Safety Standards Regulations 2020, regulation 3
How long does an EICR last?
For a rented home in England an EICR lasts up to five years. The regulations require inspection and testing at intervals of no more than five years, or sooner if the latest report sets a shorter interval. The date written on the report is the one to follow.
You do not need a new EICR for every new tenant. The guidance says that where the installation was inspected within the last five years and needs no further work, you supply a copy of the most recent report to the new tenant before they occupy the home.
A newly built or completely rewired home should have an Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC). The guidance says a landlord can give the tenant a copy of that certificate and will then not need a further inspection or report for five years.
Keep the report for its whole life, because several people are entitled to a copy. Existing tenants must get it within 28 days of the inspection and new tenants before they occupy the home. A prospective tenant who asks in writing must get it within 28 days, and the council within 7 days of asking.
Sources: GOV.UK: electrical safety standards in the private and social rented sectors, guidance · Legislation: Electrical Safety Standards Regulations 2020, regulation 3
Who can carry out an EICR?
The inspection must be done by a person who is qualified and competent to inspect and test. The government’s guidance does not name a single required qualification. It points landlords to the Registered Competent Person Electrical register, to Electrical Safety First’s find-an-electrician service and to the Electrical Safety Roundtable’s guidance.
Before you book, ask the electrician to confirm in writing that they are qualified to carry out inspection and testing and that you will receive an EICR at the end. TenancyDesk reads the dates from an uploaded report and reminds you before the next inspection is due.
Sources: GOV.UK: electrical safety standards in the private and social rented sectors, guidance
What happens if the EICR is unsatisfactory?
An unsatisfactory report starts a clock. Remedial work or further investigation must be completed within 28 days, or sooner if the report says so, and councils can impose a financial penalty of up to £40,000 on a landlord who breaches the regulations. A landlord is not in breach if they can show they took all reasonable steps to comply, for example where a tenant refused access, so keep your messages.
A satisfactory report can still list C3 items. Those are recommendations, and the 28-day clock does not apply to them. They are useful as a list of what to improve when an electrician is next in the property, and dealing with them can make the next inspection simpler.
Budget for the possibility of repairs when you book the inspection, particularly in an older home. Electrical checks sit alongside the other property safety jobs: see what a gas safety certificate costs, the smoke and carbon monoxide alarm rules, and the full list in our checklist for becoming a landlord.
Sources: GOV.UK: electrical safety standards in the private and social rented sectors, guidance · Legislation: Electrical Safety Standards Regulations 2020, regulation 3
Common questions
How much does an EICR cost for a 3-bed house?
A 3-bed house EICR costs about £100 to £280 outside London, going by two published 2026 price guides: Housekeep gives £100 to £160 and Fantastic Services gives £180 to £280. Fantastic Services puts London and the South East at £250 to £350. These are inspection prices and do not include any repairs the report requires.
What does EICR stand for?
EICR stands for Electrical Installation Condition Report. It is the report an electrician produces after inspecting and testing the fixed wiring, sockets, light fittings and consumer unit in a property. Landlords often call it an electrical safety certificate, but it is a report with a satisfactory or unsatisfactory result, not a pass certificate.
Is an EICR a legal requirement for landlords?
Yes. Private landlords in England must have the electrical installation inspected and tested at least every 5 years by a qualified person, give existing tenants a copy of the report within 28 days, and complete any required remedial work within 28 days or sooner. A council can impose a financial penalty of up to £40,000 for a breach.
Does an EICR include PAT testing of appliances?
No. An EICR covers the fixed installation: the wiring, sockets, light fittings, consumer unit and permanently connected items such as showers. Plug-in appliances are not part of it. GOV.UK says landlords must make sure appliances they supply are safe, so appliance testing is worth asking about, but it is a separate job with a separate price.
What is the difference between C2 and C3 on an EICR?
C2 means potentially dangerous and requires remedial work within 28 days, or sooner if the report says so. C3 means improvement recommended and does not require any work. A report with C3 items and no C1, C2 or FI codes does not trigger the remedial work duty, although fixing C3 items is sensible when other work is being done.
Do I need a new EICR for each new tenancy?
No, not if the last inspection was within 5 years and needed no further work. The government’s guidance says you give the new tenant a copy of the most recent report before they occupy the home. You need a new inspection when the date on the report arrives, or earlier if the report sets a shorter interval.
Official sources and scope
Checked on 5 October 2026. This is general information for private landlords in England, not legal advice or a complete compliance assessment. Follow the current official guidance for your tenancy and get advice about exceptions, missed deadlines or disputes.
- GOV.UK: electrical safety standards in the private and social rented sectors, guidance
- Legislation: Electrical Safety Standards Regulations 2020, regulation 3
- GOV.UK: your landlord’s safety responsibilities
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