How long does an EICR last? Validity, expiry and retests

For a privately rented home in England, an EICR lasts at most five years. If the inspector sets an earlier date on the report, that earlier date is the legal deadline (Electrical Safety Standards Regulations 2020, regulation 3). Owner-occupied homes have no legal expiry, but Electrical Safety First recommends an inspection every 10 years. Rules checked October 2026.

That answer hides most of the detail landlords trip over. Which date on the report counts? Does a new tenant reset it? Does a failed report still count as "in date"? This guide covers validity only. For every certificate's renewal date in one table, see our landlord certificate renewal dates, and for the visit itself, how to prepare a rental for an EICR. We are EliteShires Property Services, on Kenton Lane in Harrow, and we carry out landlord EICRs across Harrow, Kenton, Stanmore and Edgware.

How long is an EICR valid for a rented property?

Up to five years from the inspection, or until any earlier date the report sets. Regulation 3(2) defines "at regular intervals" as no more than five years or, where the most recent report requires the next inspection by an earlier date, no later than that date. The shorter date is not advice. It is the deadline.

How long an EICR lasts in common situations (England, checked October 2026)

Five years is a maximum, not a promise. A shorter date usually reflects the age or condition of the installation, heavy use, or parts the inspector could not reach. That is the inspector's judgement on the day, and it binds you.

Which date on the report counts?

The inspection date and the recommended date for the next inspection. The report is often typed up and sent a day or two after the visit, and a landlord who counts from the email will be late. Our reports follow within 48 hours of the visit, so the gap is small, but the inspection date is the one that starts the clock.

Check three things when the report arrives:

1. The date of inspection. Five years runs from here.
2. The recommended interval or date for the next inspection. If it is shorter than five years, diary that date instead.
3. The overall assessment. "Unsatisfactory" means you have work to do before the report is any use to you.

Keep the report until the next inspection is due or has been done, whichever is later, and give a copy to the next inspector (regulation 3(3)).

Does a new tenancy restart the five years?

No. The clock runs from the inspection, whatever happens to the tenancy. GOV.UK guidance says that if the last inspection was less than five years ago, and the report does not call for further investigative or remedial work, "a new inspection and testing is not required". You must give the new tenant a copy of the most recent report before they move in.

The same guidance recommends at least a visual check before each new tenancy. A tenant who moves in a year before the report runs out will need a fresh inspection during their tenancy, so it is worth booking the renewal during the void if the date is close. Our guide to preparing a rental for an EICR covers the visit itself.

Does an unsatisfactory EICR still count?

Only once the remedial work is done and confirmed. A report coded C1 or C2 is unsatisfactory, and the work must be finished within 28 days of the inspection, or sooner if the report says so (regulation 3(4)). Written confirmation and the report then go to each tenant and the council within 28 days of the work being completed.

The remedial work does not restart the clock. Your next inspection is still due by the date the original report set. Our guide to the paperwork after EICR remedial work sets out both 28-day clocks, and common C2 findings on RCDs, earthing and bonding explains the usual causes.

Does an EIC count instead of an EICR?

Sometimes. GOV.UK guidance says a newly built or completely rewired home should have an Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC). A landlord can give the tenant a copy, and will not need a further report "for 5 years after the EIC has been issued". The EIC also carries the designer's recommended interval before the first inspection.

An EIC for a smaller job is different. A new consumer unit or one new circuit gets an EIC that covers that work only. In our view it does not reset the clock for the rest of the installation, which still runs from your last EICR. Our guide to the difference between an EIC and an EICR explains which document covers what.

What happens when an EICR expires?

For a landlord, the property is out of compliance from the day after the deadline. There is no grace period. The council can serve a remedial notice and issue a civil penalty, and the maximum has been £40,000 since 1 November 2025 (SI 2025/1043). Some websites still quote £30,000; that figure is out of date.

If you have missed the date, book the inspection now and keep a record of when you booked it. If a tenant will not give access, regulation 3(2A) protects a landlord who can show they took all reasonable steps. Keep a written log of each attempt. Our guide on what to do when a tenant refuses access covers that log.

What your council can ask for

Which council you deal with depends on the address. Harrow covers Harrow and Stanmore. Kenton is split between Harrow and Brent, partly along Kenton Road. Edgware is mostly Harrow or Barnet.

When the council may ask to see your EICR in our area (checked October 2026)

The planned landlord database will also ask you to upload the EICR or EIC. It rests on regulations laid in draft on 9 September 2026, which were still awaiting Parliament's approval when we checked on 28 October 2026, and London landlords register between 15 July and 14 October 2027. Our guide to the landlord database has the detail.

How long does an EICR last for homeowners?

There is no legal expiry for an owner-occupied home. Electrical Safety First recommends that the electrics are inspected and tested every 10 years in an owner-occupied home, every five in a rented home, and also before selling a property or buying a previously occupied one.

An EICR is not a legal requirement for a sale in England. The Law Society's notes to the TA6 property information form say so directly. They add that a buyer who intends to let "will want to check that there is a current EICR and it has been supplied to the tenant". Our guide to the certificates needed to sell a house covers what buyers' solicitors ask for.

Can you renew an EICR early?

Yes, at any time, and the new report starts a fresh interval from its own inspection date. Unlike the gas safety check, there is no early-renewal window that keeps the old anniversary. The latest report is the one that counts.

We suggest booking a few weeks before the due date. That leaves time to finish any remedial work inside the 28 days without the old report lapsing in between. If you hold several properties, a single schedule stops them all falling due in the same month. What changes the price of a visit is covered in our guide to what changes the cost of an EICR. Every EICR is a fixed price confirmed before we attend.

How long does the inspection itself take?

Usually a few hours for a flat or small house, and longer for a large or older installation. Typical visit lengths are on our EICR page, and remedial work after the report is handled by our electricians.

To book locally, see EICR in Harrow, EICR in Kenton, EICR in Stanmore and EICR in Edgware.