It is now a legal requirement for landlords (domestic and commercial) to get an installation inspected and tested at least every five years or when occupancy changes.

Each property is different but the electrician needs to check each area thoroughly, so you should expect them to be there for a significant period of time. A visual check alone can take up to an hour, and it can take another hour to fill out the certificate.

It is recommended that private properties get an EICR every 10 years and it is now mandatory that landlords have an installation inspected and tested at least every five years – and more often if the most recent safety report requires it.

1. Be aware that your electrician will need to turn the power off before working on the wiring. You will not have access to any electrical gadgets, so it may not be the best day to work from home. It might be easier to let them in and leave them to get on with it for a few hours. It is possible to put circuits back on once they’ve been tested, but it will slow down the process.
2. Ensure your electrician has free access to all lights, sockets and light switches. This means clearing areas where they will need to work before they arrive (children’s bedrooms, lofts and offices can be tricky).
3. Don’t expect your electrician to issue you with a quote for remedial works immediately. It will take approximately 48 hours to process the data from the check itself before they can do this. It can take longer, particularly if you need extensive remedial works, which require a further visit from your electrician to discuss options before they can issue a quote.
4. Expect the report to uncover some ‘failures’ in your wiring system. Just because your lights switch on, it doesn’t mean the underlying system is safe.
5. Remember the problems uncovered in an initial check are likely to be the most expensive. Once major faults are corrected, subsequent checks are likely to find fewer problem areas.