New Tenant EICR Rules for London Landlords Explained

What is the rule when a new tenant moves in?

The electrical safety regulations applying to rented homes in England require landlords within scope to have the fixed electrical installation inspected and tested by a qualified person at regular intervals. The normal maximum interval is five years, although the latest report can specify an earlier date for the next inspection.

The important requirement at a change of tenancy is that the incoming tenant receives the most recent electrical safety report before they occupy the premises. The regulations do not turn every tenancy change into a fresh five-year inspection cycle.

GOV.UK guidance addresses this directly: where the installation was inspected less than five years ago, the report remains current and there is no outstanding required investigative or remedial work, another full inspection is not required simply because the property is being re-let.

When can a landlord use the existing EICR?

Start with the report itself rather than the date the new tenancy begins. A recent report can normally continue into another tenancy when the inspection remains within the applicable interval and the electrical safety position recorded by the inspection has been dealt with properly.

Before relying on the existing report, check:

• the date the inspection and testing were completed;
• the date stated for the next inspection;
• whether the report identified required remedial or investigative work;
• whether any required work has been completed and documented;
• whether significant damage or another electrical concern has arisen since the inspection.

The separate guide to how long an EICR remains current covers the validity question in more detail. A change of tenant and the normal inspection interval are related issues, but they are not the same trigger.

When might another EICR be needed before re-letting?

If inspection is now due, landlords can arrange an EICR for the fixed electrical installation rather than commissioning a new report solely because the tenant's name has changed.

What should be checked between tenants?

GOV.UK guidance recommends at least a visual inspection before a new tenancy starts, even where a valid electrical report already exists. This is a practical check for damage or deterioration that may have occurred since the formal inspection.

A visual check is not another EICR and should not involve a landlord opening electrical equipment or carrying out electrical testing. It is an opportunity to notice obvious concerns such as damaged accessories, signs of overheating, broken fittings or other visible deterioration that should be assessed before the new tenant moves in.

The incoming tenant needs the current report before occupation

Where the regulations apply, a landlord must give a copy of the latest report to a new tenant before they occupy the premises. This documentation duty applies even when the report itself does not need to be repeated.

Existing tenants must receive the report within 28 days of an inspection and testing, while a prospective tenant must receive a copy within 28 days of requesting it. A local council can also request the report, in which case the applicable regulations require it to be supplied within seven days.

Keeping the EICR with any later remedial certificates or written confirmation makes it easier to establish the property's current electrical safety record at the next tenancy change. The EICR compliance file checklist covers the wider landlord record-keeping process.

What if the last EICR identified electrical defects?

A change of tenant does not remove the landlord's obligation to deal with required work. Where an inspection report requires remedial action under the current regulations, the work is subject to its own compliance timetable and should not simply be postponed until another EICR is due.

Once the necessary work has been completed, keep the appropriate written confirmation or electrical certification with the original report. A brand-new EICR is not automatically required after every repair; the correct documentation depends on the work that was carried out.

For the detailed meaning of C1, C2, C3 and FI observations, the specialist guide to EICR classification codes keeps that technical question separate from the new-tenancy issue.

What if electrical work was completed after the last EICR?

New electrical work does not automatically cancel an otherwise current EICR. Qualifying additions and alterations should have the appropriate electrical certification for the work completed, and those records should be retained with the property's electrical documents.

If the work was extensive, records are missing or there is uncertainty about the present condition of the installation, an earlier condition inspection may be sensible. The decision should be based on the electrical installation as it exists now, not simply on the arrival of another tenant.

The 2026 position also matters to social landlords

The electrical safety regulations were extended to the social rented sector through the 2025 amendment. By August 2026, the framework therefore covers both private and social rented homes within its defined scope in England, although transitional arrangements still apply to certain older social tenancies.

For social housing tenancies granted before 1 December 2025, GOV.UK guidance sets transitional deadlines for the first inspection and testing. That is a separate issue from the question answered here: once an appropriate current inspection exists, a normal change of tenant does not itself create a fresh five-year inspection requirement.

A further clarification is planned for November 2026

A 2026 amendment to the regulations has been published in draft form with a proposed commencement date of 30 November 2026. One purpose of the amendment is to make the new-tenancy position clearer in the legislation itself.

The proposed wording is intended to clarify that an inspection before a tenancy begins is required where there has not been an appropriate previous inspection, where the previous inspection falls outside the permitted interval, or where the report is no longer current because its stated reinspection date has passed.

A simple landlord checklist before the next tenancy

1. Find the latest EICR or other applicable current inspection record.
2. Check its inspection date and stated next-inspection date.
3. Confirm that required remedial work has been completed and documented.
4. Check for visible damage or deterioration before the tenancy begins.
5. Arrange earlier professional inspection if there is a reason to doubt the current safety of the installation.
6. Give the incoming tenant the current report before occupation.
7. Keep the report and subsequent electrical documentation for the next inspection and future tenancy records.

Following that sequence avoids unnecessary repeat inspections while keeping the electrical safety record tied to the condition of the property rather than simply to changes in occupancy.