EICR Islington — Landlord Safety Certificates from £140
If you’re a landlord in Islington, an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) is a legal requirement every 5 years (and between every tenancy if there’s been a change). F & A Electrical issues NICEIC certified EICRs across Islington with same-week appointments and the full report emailed on the day.
The 2026 renewal wave is here: around 49% of London rental EICRs fall due for their 5-year renewal during 2026, so same-day slots are going fast. We certify Islington properties from £140 (labour-only) with no urgency premium — see the full landlord compliance checklist or call 07407 627542.
Fixed pricing from £140 for a standard 1-bed flat. Larger properties priced on the call.
Call 07407 627542 to book.
What an EICR actually is (in plain English)
An EICR is a periodic inspection of your property’s electrical installation — the consumer unit, all the circuits, the sockets, the lights, the wiring behind the walls. We test it, we visually inspect it, and we issue a report saying whether it’s Satisfactory (passes) or Unsatisfactory (fails — needs remedial work before it can be re-let).
Two main reasons people in Islington get one:
1. Landlords legally have to. Since June 2020 it’s been mandatory for all rented properties in England — every 5 years, plus between tenancies if a change has occurred. Fines for non-compliance can reach £40,000 per breach. The certificate must be given to tenants within 28 days of inspection.
2. Homeowners selling or buying. Buyers’ surveyors increasingly request a current EICR as part of the conveyancing pack. If yours is more than 10 years old, you’re at risk of a chain delay.
What we test — and what’s in your report
We follow the IET 18th Edition Wiring Regulations (BS 7671). For a standard EICR you get:
- Visual inspection of the consumer unit, distribution boards, and all accessible circuits
- Insulation resistance testing — checks for cable damage and degraded wiring
- Earth fault loop impedance testing — checks RCDs trip in time during a fault
- Polarity checks — confirms wires are connected correctly
- RCD operation tests — confirms life-saving devices work as intended
- Ring final circuit continuity — confirms ring mains are properly connected
- Documentation — observations coded C1 (danger), C2 (potentially dangerous), C3 (improvement recommended), or FI (further investigation needed)
Any C1 or C2 observation will result in an Unsatisfactory report — meaning remedial work is required. We always quote remedials clearly and separately, never bundled into the inspection price.
EICR cost in Islington 2026 — fixed, not estimated
| Property type | EICR cost | Time on site |
|---|---|---|
| 1-bed flat | from £140 (labour only) | 1.5 – 2 hours |
| 2-bed flat / small house | from £170 (labour only) | 2 – 3 hours |
| 3-bed house | from £200 (labour only) | 3 – 4 hours |
| 4+ bed / HMO / large commercial | Quoted on call | 4+ hours |
This is fixed for properties in good condition with accessible consumer units. If we get on site and find the consumer unit is buried behind plasterboard or there are 4 distribution boards, we’d flag and re-quote — but that’s rare for typical Islington flats.
Remedials, if needed, are quoted separately. Common ones in older Islington stock:
- Replace old wired-fuse consumer unit with modern RCBO board: ~£450 – £650 fitted
- Add an RCD to existing board: ~£140
- Replace damaged sockets / switches: ~£35 each
- Re-bond pipework or supplementary bonding: ~£90 each location
Islington areas we cover
Most of N postcodes within 30 minutes’ travel:
- N1 — Angel, Barnsbury, Canonbury, De Beauvoir Town
- N5 — Highbury
- N7 — Holloway, Caledonian Road, Lower Holloway
- N19 — Archway, Tufnell Park, Upper Holloway
- Plus EC1V (Clerkenwell border), and the parts of N4 / N16 that fall in LB Islington
Islington area guides: Angel N1 · Canonbury · Highbury N5 · Holloway N7 · Archway N19 · Finsbury Park N4 · N1 postcode · Electrician Islington. Related: fuse board replacement Islington · how many circuits does an EICR cover (and what that does to the price).
If your property’s just outside this list but still in Islington council, ring anyway — usually still works.
Why landlords in Islington use us
Same-day full report. Lots of contractors say “report within a week” — that means when your tenancy starts in 5 days, you’re stuck. We bring a portable printer or email the digital report before we leave site. Letting agents like this; tenants too.
No upselling. We quote the EICR price, do the EICR, and if we find faults we tell you what’s a genuine C1/C2 vs a C3 “nice to have”. Lots of contractors will list a screwdriver-mark on a faceplate as a C2 to drum up remedial work. We don’t.
NICEIC accreditation. Means our reports are accepted by every council, every letting agent, every solicitor. The Platinum Promise also means if we missed something on the inspection, NICEIC sends another contractor to put it right at no cost to you.
Fixed pricing transparent on the call. No surprises.
EICR for an Islington HMO or property licence
Islington runs additional licensing for every HMO in the borough — any house or flat shared by three or more people from two or more households — alongside the mandatory scheme for larger HMOs, so most room-lets in N1, N4, N5, N7 and N19 need a licence, and every licence application asks the same electrical questions. The council’s own checklist for a property licence wants a satisfactory EICR less than five years old issued by a competent person (NICEIC, NAPIT or equivalent), a fire-detection certificate for the mains-interlinked smoke and heat alarms to the LACORS grade the house needs (usually Grade D1 LD2 for a two- or three-storey shared house), and where the escape route is a shared stair, an emergency lighting certificate. If your EICR says “unsatisfactory”, the application stalls until the C1 and C2 items are fixed and a re-test or completion certificate is uploaded.
Two things trip up Islington landlords. The first is the interval: the 2020 Electrical Safety Regulations say five years, but the licence conditions can set a shorter one, and the licensing officer can ask for a fresh report at renewal even if the last one has a year left. The second is that the licence team reads the observations, not just the verdict — a “satisfactory” report with a C3 for no RCD protection on a shared-kitchen socket circuit in a licensed HMO will usually come back with a request to upgrade, because the officer applies the HMO management regulations on top of the wiring regs. We write HMO reports knowing that, and we tell you which C3s the council will treat as must-fix before you upload. From 1 May 2026 the penalty for letting without a satisfactory EICR is up to £40,000 per breach under the Renters’ Rights Act, on top of the council’s unlicensed-HMO fine.
| Islington HMO — what the licence asks for | What we supply | Labour price (inc VAT) |
|---|---|---|
| Satisfactory EICR under 5 years old | HMO EICR, every circuit and every room tested | 3-bed £230–£270 · 4-bed £280–£330 · 5-bed £330–£390 · 6–8 bed £400–£550 — see HMO EICR London |
| Interlinked fire detection to the LACORS grade | Mains-interlinked smoke + heat alarms, BS 5839-6 certificate | from £108 first alarm, then per point — smoke alarm installation |
| Emergency lighting on a shared stair (3+ storeys or internal escape) | Non-maintained fittings, BS 5266 certificate | from £140 per fitting installed |
| RCD / AFDD protection on every final circuit (officer request) | RCBO or AFDD consumer unit change | from £550 RCBO, from £650 AFDD — AFDD boards for HMOs |
| C1/C2 remedials before re-test | Fix and re-issue on the same certificate where possible | from £108 — priced per item, not per hour |
| Everything in one visit | EICR + alarms + emergency lighting + PAT of supplied appliances | bundle quoted after a walk-round — HMO electrical compliance |
Islington’s licensing officers do inspect — they are one of the few London boroughs with a large enough team to visit a high proportion of licensed HMOs — so the alarm and lighting certificates are checked against what is actually on the wall. If you are applying or renewing a licence for a house in Islington, send us the licence letter or the council’s requirements email and we will quote the whole electrical package, EICR first, and time the visit so every certificate carries the same date for the application. Prices for the standard (non-HMO) EICR are in the table above and on the EICR cost guide.
Frequently asked questions
How long does an EICR take in a 1-bed flat?
Usually 1.5 to 2 hours on site, plus 30-60 minutes to complete the report. We email the PDF report the same day.
What happens if my property fails (gets an “Unsatisfactory”)?
You have 28 days to remedy the issues by law. We’ll quote the remedial work clearly — you’re not obliged to use us, but most landlords find it’s cheaper because we already know the property. Once remedials are done, we re-issue a Satisfactory report.
Do I have to be there for the inspection?
No, but someone needs to give us access. Letting agents are fine. Most landlords give us tenant contact details and we coordinate directly.
Can I get an EICR for a tenanted property?
Yes — we just need to give tenants 24-48 hours’ notice. The inspection is mostly silent and unobtrusive — we don’t need to drill walls. Power is off for 30-60 minutes total, broken into short stretches.
How often do I need a new EICR as a landlord?
Every 5 years, OR between tenancies if you have any reason to think the installation has changed (new tenants doing DIY, a fire, water damage, a renovation, etc.). Many landlords also do a fresh one before remortgaging.
What’s the difference between an EICR and a PAT test?
EICR = the fixed wiring of the property (consumer unit, sockets, lights). PAT test = the portable appliances (kettles, fridges, lamps) plugged into those sockets. We do both — but most Islington landlords just need the EICR.
Does Islington Council need my EICR before it will grant an HMO licence?
Yes. A satisfactory EICR under five years old is on Islington’s list of documents for a property-licence application, together with the fire-alarm certificate and, where there is a shared escape stair, an emergency-lighting certificate. The application is processed without it, but the licence is not granted — and the council can fine you for running an unlicensed HMO in the meantime. If your report is unsatisfactory, get the C1 and C2 items fixed and upload the re-test or completion certificate with the application.
How much is an HMO EICR in Islington compared with a normal flat EICR?
A standard flat or 2-bed EICR in Islington is from £140. An HMO takes longer because every bedroom is a separate let with its own sockets and often its own lock, and the shared kitchen and bathrooms carry more circuits: a 3-bed HMO is £230–£270, a 4-bed £280–£330, a 5-bed £330–£390 and a 6–8 bed licensed house £400–£550, labour-only. The mains-interlinked alarms and any emergency lighting are priced separately and can be done on the same visit.
Other related services in Islington
- Fuse board replacement — most common remedial after an EICR fails
- Emergency electrician — same-day callouts for faults
- Smoke and heat alarm installation — interlinked mains-powered units
- House rewire — when remedials would cost more than starting fresh
Same-day and 48-hour EICR appointments in Islington
Need the certificate urgently — for a new tenancy, a licence application or a sale? We book EICRs across Islington same-week as standard, and often within 48 hours. The full PDF report is emailed the same day as the inspection, and the price stays from £140 (labour only) — we don’t add an urgency premium for fast booking. Call 07407 627542 and tell us your deadline.
Book your EICR today
Phone: 07407 627542
WhatsApp: Click to message
Email: info@faelectrical.co.uk
Tell us the property type, postcode, and tenancy date and we’ll book you in — usually the same week.
F & A Electrical is NICEIC accredited, Part P registered, and BS 7671 18th Edition compliant. EICRs across Islington, Hackney, Camden, Tower Hamlets, Southwark and surrounding Inner London boroughs.