Overview
What this service covers and when to book
Everything Nottingham landlords need to know about EICRs: the law, licensing, what's tested, what the codes mean and what it costs.
Quick answer
An EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report) is a full inspection and test of a property's fixed wiring. Landlords in England must have one at least every five years, give a copy to tenants, and fix any C1, C2 or FI items within 28 days. In Nottingham you also need a current EICR to apply for a property licence. Urgent Electrical Services carries out EICRs from £118.80 including VAT.
Key facts
| What it is | An inspection and test of the fixed electrical installation: consumer unit, circuits, sockets, switches, lights and fixed appliances |
| Who needs one | Private landlords in England (legal requirement), social landlords, HMO owners, and anyone applying for a Nottingham property licence |
| How often | At least every 5 years for rented homes, or sooner if the report says so |
| Price with us | £118.80 studio, £156 for 1–3 bedrooms, £216 for 4–5 bedrooms, £252 for 6 bedrooms (all inc VAT) |
| Report | Sent by email, usually within 2 working days |
| Result | Satisfactory, or unsatisfactory if any C1, C2 or FI item is found |
| Penalty | Councils can fine landlords up to £40,000 for a breach |
What is an EICR?
An Electrical Installation Condition Report is a formal record of the condition of a property's electrical installation. A qualified electrician inspects the installation, tests every circuit, and records anything that is damaged, worn out, unsafe or not up to the current wiring regulations, BS 7671.
An EICR doesn't cover plug-in appliances. Those are checked by PAT testing, which is a separate service. It also doesn't certify new work: new circuits and rewires get their own certificates when the work is done.
People often call an EICR a "landlord electrical safety certificate" or an "electrical certificate". They all mean the same report.
Do landlords legally need an EICR?
Yes, for most private tenancies in England. The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 require landlords to:
- have the electrical installation inspected and tested by a qualified and competent person at least every five years
- give a copy of the report to existing tenants within 28 days of the inspection
- give a copy to new tenants before they move in
- give a copy to a prospective tenant within 28 days of them asking for one
- give a copy to the local council within 7 days if it asks
- keep a copy for the electrician carrying out the next inspection
- carry out any remedial work or further investigation the report asks for within 28 days, or sooner if the report says so
- confirm in writing to the tenants and the council, within 28 days of finishing the work, that it has been done
Councils can impose financial penalties of up to £40,000 for breaches. Since 2026, social housing in England has come under the same electrical safety rules. Older social tenancies were covered from 1 May 2026, with first inspections due by 1 November 2026.
EICRs and Nottingham property licensing
Nottingham City Council runs three licensing schemes for privately rented homes: mandatory HMO licensing, additional HMO licensing and selective licensing. The current schemes started on 1 December 2023. Which licence you need depends on where the property is and how many people or households live in it.
The council lists an EICR among the documents you need to apply for a licence, alongside a gas safety certificate and an EPC. If your current report is out of date, or was unsatisfactory and the remedial work hasn't been done, sort that out before you apply. You can check whether your property is in a licensing area on the council's licensing page.
How often do you need an EICR?
| Property | How often |
|---|---|
| Privately rented home in England | At least every 5 years, or sooner if the report says so |
| HMO | At least every 5 years, or sooner if the report says so |
| Social housing in England | At least every 5 years |
| Owner-occupied home | Every 10 years is the usual guidance, and when the property is sold |
| Commercial premises | Usually every 5 years, more often for higher-risk uses |
You don't need a new EICR for every new tenancy. If the current report is less than five years old and satisfactory, give the new tenant a copy before they move in.
How much does an EICR cost in Nottingham?
| Property | Price exc VAT | Price inc VAT |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | £99 | £118.80 |
| 1–3 bedrooms | £130 | £156 |
| 4–5 bedrooms | £180 | £216 |
| 6 bedrooms | £210 | £252 |
| Larger homes, HMOs, commercial | Quoted individually | |
Our prices are fixed and include VAT, so there's nothing added at checkout. Elsewhere, EICR prices are often shown without saying whether VAT is included. Check before comparing.
What affects the price of an EICR:
- Number of circuits. More circuits means more testing.
- Number of consumer units. Each board is inspected and tested separately.
- Size and layout. Larger properties take longer to inspect.
- Access. Locked rooms, boxed-in consumer units or occupied properties can add time.
- Records. Previous certificates and circuit charts make the inspection quicker.
The EICR price covers the inspection and the report. Repairs are quoted separately and in writing, and you don't have to use us for them.
What happens during an EICR?
- You book online and choose a time. We confirm access arrangements with you, your tenant or your letting agent.
- Visual inspection. The electrician checks the consumer unit, cables, sockets, switches and fittings for damage, overheating, wear and missing protection. Earthing and bonding to gas and water pipes are checked too.
- Testing. Each circuit is tested with calibrated equipment. The tests are continuity of protective conductors, ring circuit continuity, insulation resistance, polarity, earth fault loop impedance and RCD operation.
- Recording. Every result and observation is written up, and each problem is given a code.
- Report. You receive the report by email, usually within 2 working days.
- Remedial quote. If anything needs fixing, we send a fixed written quote.
An EICR usually samples accessories rather than opening every one. The extent of the inspection and any limitations, such as a room we couldn't get into, are agreed and written into the report.
How long does an EICR take?
Most one to three bedroom homes take a few hours. Larger homes, HMOs and properties with more than one consumer unit take longer. The power is switched off for short periods while each circuit is tested.
How to prepare for an EICR
- Make sure the electrician can reach the consumer unit and the electricity meter.
- Arrange access to every room, including lofts and outbuildings with electrics.
- Tell tenants the power will go off for short periods.
- Ask tenants to save work on computers and to tell you about any medical equipment.
- Find any previous EICRs, electrical certificates or circuit charts.
- Mention any known problems, such as tripping, flickering or scorch marks.
What do C1, C2, C3 and FI mean?
| Code | Meaning | What you need to do |
|---|---|---|
| C1 | Danger present. There is an immediate risk of injury. | The electrician makes it safe straight away where possible, with your permission. It must be fixed. |
| C2 | Potentially dangerous. | It must be fixed. For landlords, within 28 days or sooner if the report says so. |
| C3 | Improvement recommended. | Not a fail on its own. Plan it in, but it isn't urgent. |
| FI | Further investigation needed. | Something needs a closer look before it can be coded. It must be investigated within 28 days. |
A report with any C1, C2 or FI item is unsatisfactory. A report with only C3 items, or none at all, is satisfactory.
What happens if your property fails?
- You receive the report showing the C1, C2 or FI items.
- We send a fixed written quote for the remedial work.
- The work must be done within 28 days, or sooner if the report says so.
- Once it's done, you receive written confirmation and the relevant certificates.
- Within 28 days of the work being finished, send that confirmation to your tenants and, if it asked, the council.
If the remedial work isn't done, the council can serve a remedial notice, arrange the work itself and recover the cost from you, and impose a financial penalty.
EICR compared with other certificates
| Document | What it covers | When you get one |
|---|---|---|
| EICR | Condition of the existing fixed wiring | Every 5 years for rented homes, or when buying or selling |
| Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC) | New installations, new circuits and rewires | When the new work is finished |
| Minor Electrical Installation Works Certificate | Small additions or alterations, such as an extra socket | When the work is finished |
| PAT testing record | Plug-in appliances | At intervals based on risk |
| Gas safety record | Gas appliances and pipework | Every year, by a Gas Safe registered engineer |
HMOs, portfolios and letting agents
HMOs have more circuits, more occupants and more wear, so they are quoted individually after we know the number of circuits and consumer units. If you manage several properties, we can schedule inspections in batches, coordinate access with tenants, and keep track of when each report is due. Letting agents can book on a landlord's behalf, and we send the report to whoever you choose.
Housing associations and councils should see our social housing EICR page.
Common faults we find in Nottingham homes
Nottingham has a lot of Victorian and inter-war terraces, post-war semis and older flat conversions. The faults we find most often are:
- older consumer units without RCD protection on socket circuits
- missing or undersized earthing and bonding to gas and water pipes
- overheated sockets and connections, often behind kitchen appliances
- DIY additions that don't meet the wiring regulations
- worn rubber or early PVC cabling in older properties
Most of these are straightforward to put right. Finding them before they cause harm is the whole point of the report.
Who can carry out an EICR?
The regulations say the inspection must be done by a "qualified and competent person". GOV.UK's guidance suggests landlords check that the electrician belongs to a competent person scheme. Urgent Electrical Services has been NICEIC approved since 2014. You can check our registration on the NICEIC certificate page.
Book your EICR
Fixed prices from £118.80 including VAT, online booking and a clear report usually within 2 working days. Book your EICR online or call 0115 778 0622.