What is an EICR and Why Do You Need One?

An Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) is a comprehensive assessment that details the safety and condition of the electrical fittings and wiring in a property. You need a qualified electrician to carry out these reports, and they’re usually done for Landlords or homebuyers in Birmingham, but private homeowners can also get them to check the overall safety of their systems.

An electrician will come to your property, carry out an inspection of your appliances, fittings, and wiring and put together an in-depth report of the findings. Any repairs or suggested maintenance will be included, as well as any clear safety risks that need to be addressed.

Once the report is complete, you’ll get a certificate showing your property has passed the inspection and is safe to occupy.

What is tested in an EICR?

In general, when we come to a property to conduct an EICR, we will check:

• That the fuse board is safe and compliant with current regulations
• All electricals are correctly earthed
• The wiring in all sockets, lights, switches and accessories is correctly wired

What are the regulations for EICRs?

It has always been the responsibility of landlords to get EICRs to prove their properties are safe for tenants. Without a regular report, Landlords can be held criminally negligent if a tenant were to become harmed due to any type of faulty electrics.

Before July 2020, there was no legislation requiring landlords to get a regular EICR though, and they didn’t need to provide any documentation to their tenants.

That all changed in July 2020. It is now a legal requirement for landlords to get an EICR for all of their properties once every five years. The tenants must be provided with a copy of the certificate and the landlord is responsible for any repairs or maintenance highlighted by the report.

What if your property fails an EICR inspection?

If you get an EICR done by a qualified electrician and your property fails, you have 28 days to take remedial action (or sooner if the report highlights a specific issue and timeline).

Once any repairs or maintenance have been carried out, you’ll get written confirmation from the electrician showing the safety standards have been met.

You’ll then need to provide copies of this confirmation to all tenants so they know their property is safe.

Book your EICR in Birmingham today

If you’re a landlord or homebuyer in Birmingham and need an EICR, call our team today. We are a leading team of qualified, experienced electricians that regularly carry out Electrical Installation Condition Reports for businesses, landlords, and homebuyers throughout the Midlands. We’ll give you a free quote and book a time that suits you: 0121 429 1122