What is an EICR?
An EICR is an Electrical Installation Condition Report. It is a formal document that is produced following an assessment of the electrical installation within a property. It must be carried out by a Part P Registered Electrician who has a good working knowledge and experience of electrical installation
Private landlords in Scotland are required by law to ensure that a rented house meets the repairing standard at the start of a tenancy and throughout a tenancy. One part of the repairing standard is that –
- The installations in the house for the supply of electricity,
- Electrical fixtures and fittings,
- And any appliances provided by the landlord under the tenancy
Are in a reasonable state of repair and in working order.
Landlords are required to –
- Ensure that regular electrical safety inspections are carried out by a competent person
- Have regard to this guidance issued by Scottish Ministers on electrical safety standards and competent persons.
Purpose of an EICR?
- The purpose of an electrical safety inspection is to identify any work which relates to electrical installations, fixtures, fittings or appliances which needs to be done to ensure that they are in a reasonable state of repair and in proper working order.
- Any element of the electrical installations, fixtures and fittings which are classified in an Electrical Installation Condition Report (see para 18 below) under code C1 (danger present) or C2 (potentially dangerous) must be rectified to comply with the repairing standard. Code C1 means that anyone using the installation is at risk and remedial work should be carried out by a competent person immediately. If it is practical to do so, the competent person should make the installation safe on discovery of the dangerous condition.
- Any element of the electrical installation classified in an Electrical Installation Condition Report as FI (further investigation required) should be investigated as soon as possible as such investigation may reveal a dangerous or potentially dangerous condition
- Any Appliance which fails to pass a Portable Appliance Test (see paragraph 19 below) must be removed, replaced or repaired to comply with the repairing standard.
- Appliances include-
- Refrigerators and washing machines
- Televisions
- Electric fires that are not fixed in place
- Portable appliances such as toasters and kettles
- Hand held appliances such as hairdryers
- The Duty to carry out electrical safety inspections does not apply to appliances that belong to tenants, only to appliances provided by the Landlord.
How often does a Landlord need to have an EICR carried out?
Before a tenancy begins and at intervals of no more than 5 years
It is not necessary to carry out a new inspection every time a new tenancy begins, as long as in inspection has been carried out in the period of 5 years before the tenancy starts.
Record of Inspection
- The certificate must set out-
- The date of the inspection
- The address of the property inspected
- The name and address of the landlord or their agent
- The name and address of the person carrying out the inspection
- The relevant qualification of the person carrying out the inspection
- A description of each installation, fixture, fitting and appliance inspected, and its location in the house.
- Any defect identified
- Any action taken to remedy the defect