EICR rules across the UK nations
Same certificate, four different statutes. The report format is BS 7671 everywhere — what changes is who the law binds, since when, and what extras ride on top.
| Nation | Requirement | In force | Governing law |
|---|---|---|---|
| England | EICR every 5 years (max) | 1 Jul 2020 (new tenancies); 1 Apr 2021 (all) | Electrical Safety Standards in the PRS (England) Regulations 2020 |
| Wales | EICR every 5 years (max) | 1 Dec 2022 (all tenancies) | Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 framework |
| Scotland | Electrical safety inspection: periodic inspection & test + PAT, before first let and every 5 years | Dec 2015 | Housing (Scotland) Act 2006 — Repairing Standard |
| Northern Ireland | No dedicated landlord EICR statute (HMO and fitness duties apply) | — | Housing (NI) Order; fitness standards |
England — the 2020 template
New tenancies from 1 July 2020, all existing tenancies by 1 April 2021: inspection every 5 years max, copy to tenants within 28 days, new tenants before occupation, authority within 7 days on request, penalties up to £30,000, remedial work confirmed in writing within 28 days of an Unsatisfactory result. England has since extended the regime to the social rented sector (in force for social landlords from 1 November 2025, applying per the regulations' transitional dates) — so housing associations now sit under the same duty.
Wales — 1 December 2022
Wales implemented the same duty through the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016: occupation contracts must have a valid electrical condition report every 5 years, with the home treated as unfit for human habitation if the duty is breached. The practical mechanics — competent person, copy deadlines, remedial confirmation — mirror England. Note Welsh tenancies are now "occupation contracts" with "contract-holders", not tenancies with tenants; the electrical duty is unchanged.
Scotland — first and strictest on appliances
Under the Repairing Standard (statutory guidance, Annex D), a landlord must have an electrical safety inspection — periodic inspection and testing of the installation PLUS in-service inspection and testing of electrical equipment (PAT) — carried out by a skilled person before the property is let for the first time and at intervals of no more than 5 years. Points worth knowing:
- The inspection does not have to fall immediately before each new tenancy — it must simply be within its 5-year window.
- The PAT retest interval is set by the skilled person and is usually more frequent than 5 years — follow the tester's recommended date.
- Enforcement runs through landlord registration and the first-tier tribunal, not the English 28-day/penalty-notice model.
- No RCD protection = the house does not comply with the Repairing Standard — the EICR's RCD findings are decisive.
What stays the same everywhere
- The report itself: BS 7671:2018+A2:2022 model form, C1/C2/C3/FI codes, Satisfactory/Unsatisfatory by the same rule.
- Who may inspect: a skilled person competent in periodic inspection and testing.
- Keeping the report until the next one, and acting on C1/C2/FI findings without delay everywhere.