An electrical installation condition report (EICR) is an inspection carried out to ensure the property is electrically safe for tenants and is the BEST way to make sure your electrical system is safe and properly functioning. But for complete assurance, it needs to be done by the right person or company.
Here, we’ll discuss who can legally carry out an EICR report for your property and what landlords and letting agents should look for in an EICR provider.
Who can do an EICR report?
Regular EICR reports are the best way to keep your electrical installation in order and stay compliant with the Health and Safety at Work Act (1974). While you’re not legally obliged as a business owner or facilities manager, it’s certainly recommended to avoid a non-compliance that could result in injury to staff or visitors and could compromise your insurance cover.
On the other hand, EICRs are legally required for landlords at an interval of at least every five years. Because of this, the government has provided extra guidance on who can carry out an EICR report.
You might be surprised to find out that there are no legal requirements when it comes to who can do an EICR report. However, the government does state that the person or company must be ‘qualified and competent’.
What is ‘qualified and competent’?
It’s fair to say ‘qualified and competent’ is quite a broad definition for your EICR report. In its guide to landlords, the government suggests checking whether they’re a member of a competent person scheme or by asking them to certify their competence, experience, insurance, and qualifications.
But is that really enough to check whether someone is reliable to do an EICR for the premises you own or manage? We don’t think so. Only registered electricians should carry out an EICR. This is to ensure they are competent to understand the required periodic codes for an EICR.
An EICR gives you confidence that the electrical system in your property is safe and properly functioning, not to mention, compliant with the relevant regulations.
In truth, you should be looking for a lot more than basic competence and qualifications to provide a thorough visual and physical inspection of your electrical components.
Finding someone to carry out an EICR
If you’re looking for someone to do an EICR you can trust, there are three main boxes electricians should tick:
- Experience – A trusted electrician will have several years’ experience carrying out EICR reports for landlords and letting agents just like you. Look for reviews, partnerships, and how long they’ve been operating. To save you a job, here are our reviews.
- Knowledge – As well as knowing the BS 7671 standards like the back of their hand, your chosen electrician should have full working knowledge of the Electricity at Work Regulations (1989) and the Health and Safety at Work Act (1974). Yes, we know all these!
- Accreditation – For full peace of mind, look for accreditations. The Electrical Safety Register and NICEIC are two big trust marks for an EICR, while SafeContractor can provide more general assurance that inspectors are operating in line with the relevant health and safety legislation. Here at NSI, we are on the Electrical Safety Register, we are NICEIC accredited and we are SafeContractor approved. Shall we just send you the book now link already?
As a landlord, you have a duty of care to ensure you use the correct skilled tradesmen for your maintenance. Failure to show you have instructed the correct trade could render you liable.
EICR carried out by the experts
We have a team of highly skilled electricians who aim to provide you with a smooth and efficient process; from first contact with our office to completion of the job.
We want to work together with you to make the process of carrying out Electrical Installation Condition Reports for all your rented properties as seamless as possible; ensuring you are always kept up to date and adhering to regulations.
Where can we conduct an EICR?
National Safety Inspections are an award-winning electrical safety company, working alongside some of the country’s largest letting and estate agents bringing their current housing stock in line with these regulation changes.
These places include (but are not limited to):
- Leeds
- Manchester
- Liverpool
- Newcastle
- Nottingham
- Oxford
- Leicester
- Sheffield
- Crawley
- Croydon
- Swindon
EICR Certificate Cost
The cost of EICR certificates can depend on a few factors, including the size of your property and the age of the electrics. At NSI, the EICR cost starts from just £150 + VAT (*location dependant).
Our NSI electricians offer the most efficient and professional service. Just check out our 900+ 4.9-star reviews!
If you’re a landlord or estate agent looking to obtain an EICR certificate for your rental properties, look no further, NSI are here to help! Book in for your EICR today by clicking the link below.