What if Your Property Failed the EICR Inspection?

Electrical Installation Certification Report (EICR) are required in order to comply with the new legislation known as The Electricity Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Act 2020, which has just come into effect for all residential properties across England.

What does it mean if you fail?

During the thorough survey unfortunately there are some areas identified that need immediate attention to be compliant with these new safety regulations and we have 28 days from the certification for the certificate to remain valid. For many properties the failure is due to a change in regulations since the property was built or refurbished and the items no longer comply with the latest regulations and are now deemed a safety risk.

If an EICR is reported as “Unsatisfactory” there will be a list of items that need attention which are usually found in either Section 6 or 7 of an EICR certificate depending on which version they are using as there is no single version used.

The unsatisfactory items are coded according to the seriousness of the noted fault and it is now a legal requirement to have all faults coded C1 or C2 as well as those listed as FI (which stands for Further Investigation required) rectified. Items listed as Code C3 or LIM (which indicates some form of limitation experienced by the contractor during the survey) are indications that something does not meet current standards but is not considered an immediate safety threat and therefore a landlord is not compelled to carry out this work but having it done would bring their property up to current standards.

Once any remedial work has been carried out a new “Minor Works Certificate” is produced confirming the work has been carried out and this, combined with the original certificate, then becomes a valid combined certificate for the next 5 years until a new certification survey is required.

When we instructed our contractors to carry out the survey we also asked them to concurrently supply an estimate for any remedial works so that you have an indication of the additional costs to complete the work and I have attached both the certificate and the quote with this email. We realise that this additional work is not welcome news, but all the essential work will need to be carried out within the 28 day period as noted above.

If you have any questions regarding this matter please do not hesitate to contact us at your earliest convenience and we will endeavour to answer them as best we can?

Unfortunately there is not an option to not have the work done and the penalties for a non-compliant property could be significant.

Brett Alegre-Wood
Director of Compliance

If you have compliance questions I am happy to provide detail answers to even the most detailed problems you face. 

Email me at Compliance@ezytrac.uk