Short answer: if your last EICR was carried out on or before 31 December 2021, it has either expired already or expires this year. The Electrical Safety Standards Regulations required every existing tenancy in England to hold a satisfactory EICR by 1 April 2021, and the report lasts a maximum of five years — so 2026 is the year the first full national cycle comes due. Since 1 May 2026 the maximum civil penalty for letting a property without a valid EICR is £40,000.
F & A Electrical are NICEIC Approved Contractors based in Tottenham N15. Landlord EICRs across London from £140. Call 07407 627542 or 07500 721453, or email info@faelectrical.co.uk.
Check your renewal date in ten seconds
Find the date of inspection on page 1 of your EICR — not the date you received it, and not the tenancy start date. Add five years. That is your expiry date, unless the inspector recommended a shorter interval in the “Recommended date of next inspection” box, in which case the shorter date wins and is legally binding.
| Date of last inspection | Expires | Status right now |
|---|---|---|
| Before 1 April 2021 | Already passed | Overdue — act now |
| April–June 2021 | April–June 2026 | Expired or expiring this quarter |
| July–December 2021 | July–December 2026 | Due within months — book now |
| 2022 | 2027 | Diarise for next year |
| Any HMO, any year | Annually in most boroughs | Check your licence conditions |
Two things override the five-year default. First, an inspector’s recommendation of a shorter interval — common on older installations, and it becomes your legal deadline. Second, a change of tenancy: you must supply the existing report to a new tenant before they occupy, and if the report is close to expiry most letting agents will not proceed without a fresh one.
Why 2026 is the year the backlog hits
The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 applied to new tenancies from 1 July 2020 and to all existing tenancies from 1 April 2021. That second deadline pulled the entire remaining private rented sector into compliance inside a few months, which means a very large share of the country’s EICRs share a 2026 expiry.
The practical consequence for a London landlord is scheduling. Demand for inspections concentrates into the same months, remedial slots fill up behind it, and the 28-day clock for remedial work does not pause because your electrician is busy. Booking in a quiet month is worth more than it sounds.
What happens if the EICR has already expired
- Civil penalty up to £40,000. Raised from £30,000 by the Renters’ Rights Act with effect from 1 May 2026, and applied per breach by the local authority.
- Local authority remedial notice. The council can serve notice, and if you do not act it can arrange the work itself and recover the cost from you.
- Licensing consequences. In boroughs with selective or additional HMO licensing — Haringey, Newham, Waltham Forest, Enfield and others — an expired EICR is a licence-condition breach in its own right.
- Insurance exposure. Most landlord policies require compliance with statutory safety obligations. An electrical claim on a property with a lapsed EICR is an argument you do not want to have.
- Possession. Safety-compliance failures routinely undermine possession proceedings. Keep the paperwork current if you may ever need to rely on it.
The deadlines that follow the inspection
- 28 days to complete any C1, C2 or FI remedial work from the date of the inspection — or sooner if the report specifies it.
- 28 days to supply the report to existing tenants after the inspection.
- 7 days to supply the report to the local authority on request.
- Before occupation for any new tenant.
- C1 is immediate. “Danger present” must be made safe on the day, before the inspector leaves.
Written confirmation of the remedial work, supplied to the tenant and the council within 28 days of completion, is part of the obligation — not an optional extra. See our landlord electrical compliance checklist for the full sequence.
What a renewal EICR costs in London
| Property | EICR price (inc VAT) |
|---|---|
| Studio / 1-bed flat | From £140 |
| 2-bed flat or terrace | From £160 |
| 3-bed house | From £140 |
| 4-bed+ house | From £220 |
| Licensed HMO | Quoted on unit count |
| Commercial premises | Quoted per visit |
All prices are labour-only for the inspection itself; remedial materials are separate and quoted before any work starts. Our minimum charge on any attendance is £108 inc VAT (£90 + VAT). PAT testing on the same visit is £5 per appliance. Full detail on EICR testing in London and EICR costs.
What usually fails on a renewal, and what it costs to clear
A renewal inspection on a property that passed in 2021 rarely fails on the same things it passed on. What changes is the standard, the wear, and what has been added since.
- Missing or inadequate RCD protection. Still the single most common C2 in London. A fuse board replacement at £550–£950 usually clears this plus two or three other codes in one visit.
- Main earthing and bonding. Undersized main earth conductor or absent bonding to gas and water. £150–£300 as an add-on to a board change.
- Tenant-added extensions. Garden supplies, outdoor sockets, shed feeds and hot tub connections installed since the last inspection, often unnotified.
- EV charge points. Where a charger was fitted by a third party, the inspector will look for a dedicated circuit, correct RCD type and a valid installation certificate. See EV charger installation in London.
- Deteriorated accessories. Cracked sockets, scorched terminals, loose connections — five years of tenant use.
- Cabling under 50mm without protection. Common in properties where a kitchen or bathroom has been refitted between inspections.
We quote remedial work before starting it, in writing, and never begin without your approval. Where a report was produced by another contractor we are happy to price the remedials from their PDF.
How to keep the next cycle simple
- Diarise the expiry, not the anniversary. Set a reminder for four months before the inspection date plus five years — enough runway for remedials without paying a rush premium.
- Keep the report with the certificates. The EIC for any remedial work is the evidence that the C2s were cleared. Councils ask for both.
- Book the renewal in a void period where you can. Access is easier and the property can take remedial work without disrupting a tenant.
- Bundle it. Gas safety, EICR and PAT on one visit where the dates allow, so you are not managing three contractors and three deadlines.
- Fix the board once, properly. A full RCBO board removes the most common failure category from the next two cycles.
Frequently asked questions
How long does an EICR certificate last?
Five years for rented property in England (or sooner if the report specifies), and generally up to ten years for an owner-occupied home. For landlords the five-year clock runs from the inspection date — which is why certificates issued in 2021 all fall due in 2026.
My EICR says “satisfactory” but is dated 2021 — is it still valid?
Only until the five-year point from the inspection date, or the earlier date the inspector recommended. A satisfactory result does not extend the interval.
Do I need a new EICR for a new tenant if the current one is still valid?
No. You must give the new tenant a copy of the existing report before they occupy. A new inspection is only required once the report expires.
Is the requirement annual for HMOs?
The regulations set five years, but most London licensing schemes impose annual electrical inspection as a licence condition. Check your licence — the condition is enforceable separately from the regulations.
Can you do the inspection and the remedial work on the same visit?
Usually, for straightforward items. Tell us the property type when booking and we will carry the common parts. Board changes are normally scheduled as a second visit.
What if I have lost the original EICR?
Ask the contractor who issued it for a copy first. If it cannot be produced, treat the property as having no valid report and book a fresh inspection — an EICR you cannot produce on request is, for enforcement purposes, an EICR you do not have.
Are you NICEIC approved?
Yes — NICEIC Approved Contractor, £5m public liability insurance, 6 years’ NICEIC warranty on installation work. 9.32/10 across 242 Checkatrade reviews, a member since December 2018.
Book your 2026 EICR renewal
Call 07407 627542 or 07500 721453, or email info@faelectrical.co.uk with the property address and the date of your last inspection. We will confirm your expiry date and hold a slot before the renewal rush. Portfolios of five properties or more are scheduled together and invoiced once.
Related: EICR testing London, Landlord compliance checklist, Fuse board replacement London, EICR Haringey, London service areas.
What happens if you don’t comply? Councils can now fine up to £40,000 per breach — see our full guide to EICR fines for London landlords in 2026.
New for 2026: Renters’ Rights Act 2026: what changed for London landlord electrics — s21 abolition, the £40,000 per-breach penalty and the new enforcement system explained.