The New Tenant Is Ready, but the Electrical Report Isn’t: What Should a Landlord Do?
The tenancy agreement is signed. The deposit is sorted. The new tenant wants to collect the keys on Friday. Then the letting agent asks for the property’s electrical report, and nobody can find it.
It is a familiar sort of last-minute problem. The report may be sitting in an old inbox, filed under another property, or past its next inspection date. Sometimes the inspection has been booked, but the tenant cannot provide access. Sometimes the electrician has visited and the result is unsatisfactory.
Each situation needs a different response. The quickest way forward is to work out what you already have, what the report says, and what still needs to happen before the new tenant moves in.
Start with the report you have
Before booking another inspection, look for the most recent Electrical Installation Condition Report, usually called an EICR. Search by the full property address and flat number, not just the building name. If an agent arranged the last visit, ask for both the report and any records of work completed afterwards.
Check four things:
- Does the report identify the correct property?
- When was the installation inspected?
- What date does it give for the next inspection?
- Did it require remedial work or further investigation, and was that dealt with?
For rented homes in England, electrical installations must generally be inspected and tested by a qualified person at least every five years, or sooner if the report specifies an earlier date. The report must be given to a new tenant before they occupy the property. Those requirements are explained in the UK government’s electrical safety guidance.
An existing report can still be useful when tenants change. Government guidance says a fresh inspection is not automatically required for every new tenancy where a qualifying report remains current and does not call for unresolved investigation or remedial work. In that case, provide the incoming tenant with the latest report before move-in. It is also sensible to look for signs of damage or deterioration between tenancies.
If the report is missing
First, contact the electrician or company that carried out the inspection and request a copy. Give them the full address and approximate inspection date. Your managing agent may also have it in the property file.
If nobody can produce the report, do not rely on a verbal assurance that “the electrics were checked a couple of years ago.” You need the document to see its findings and share it with the tenant. Arrange an inspection with a qualified person, and tell the agent what is happening so they can plan the move-in realistically.
This is where early planning pays off. If you manage several properties, keep each report in a folder named with the full address and inspection date. Add the next inspection date to a calendar with an early reminder. A reminder on the expiry date itself leaves little time to arrange access, complete an inspection or resolve a fault.
If the electrician cannot get in
An EICR appointment depends on more than finding an available electrician. Someone must confirm access, and areas needed for inspection must be reasonably accessible. A tenant may work nights. An agent may have keys but no permission to use them at the proposed time. The consumer unit may be hidden behind stored items.
Give the person arranging access a clear task: agree a date with the occupier and confirm who will let the electrician in. Send the appointment details in writing. Ask the electrician in advance whether testing is likely to interrupt the electricity supply, so the occupier knows what to expect.
If an appointment fails, record what happened and offer another reasonable time promptly. A missed visit does not make the electrical safety issue disappear. It is much easier to handle access difficulties when the inspection was planned weeks before the new tenancy rather than the day before it.
If the EICR is unsatisfactory
An unsatisfactory report can feel like the end of the letting. Often, the more useful first step is to read the observations carefully and ask what work is needed.
An EICR uses classification codes. C1 means danger is present and there is a risk of injury. C2 means the issue is potentially dangerous. FI calls for further investigation without delay. C3 recommends an improvement; a C3 observation on its own does not require remedial work for the report to be satisfactory. The government guidance explains what these codes mean.
If the report identifies C1, C2 or FI matters, arrange the necessary work or investigation with a qualified person. The general requirement is to complete it within 28 days, or within a shorter period if the report specifies one. Where danger is present, act urgently; the 28-day limit is not a reason to leave an immediate hazard in use.
Ask for a clear quotation tied to the report’s observations. After the work, obtain appropriate written confirmation from the qualified person and keep it with the original EICR. You will need the records to show what was found and how it was resolved.
The key mistake is treating “unsatisfactory” as a paperwork problem that another inspection alone will fix. If a dangerous defect remains, a second report will not repair the installation.
If the report contains limitations
You may see a note saying that a room, circuit or piece of equipment could not be fully inspected or tested. Do not skip past that section simply because the report has an overall assessment.
Ask the inspector what could not be checked and why. Was access blocked? Was a circuit unavailable? Is another visit needed? The answer will depend on the circumstances recorded in that report. Getting a plain-English explanation now is easier than trying to interpret the limitation when an agent or tenant raises it later.
The same approach helps when a remedial quote is unclear. Send the electrician the whole report, including its schedules and observations, rather than a screenshot of the first page. Ask them to separate work they can price immediately from any issue that needs investigation before a firm price is possible.
Give everyone the same information
Last-minute delays often grow because the landlord, letting agent, tenant and electrician each have a different version of the plan.
One short update can settle that:
“The EICR inspection is booked for Tuesday. The occupier has confirmed access. We expect the report after the visit and will update you immediately if any further work is required.”
If the report is unsatisfactory, replace vague promises with the actual next step:
“The inspection identified work that needs to be completed. We have sent the full report to the electrician for a remedial quote and will confirm the schedule once that work is agreed.”
Avoid promising that a property will “pass” before the inspection happens. An EICR records the condition the inspector finds; it is not something a contractor can honestly guarantee in advance.
For landlords arranging an EICR in London, it helps to discuss access, the property layout and any known electrical issues when booking. That gives the provider a clearer picture of the visit and gives the letting agent better information for planning.
Build a routine that survives staff changes
If only one person knows where the reports are kept, the system will eventually fail. Agents change, owners switch email addresses, and a certificate attached to a message from years ago is easily overlooked.
A useful property record needs only a few fields: the full address, inspection date, next inspection date, report outcome, location of the PDF, date it was sent to the tenant, and details of any follow-up work. Someone should own the next action when the report is unsatisfactory.
Review those records before marketing a vacant property. If a report is due soon, arrange the inspection early enough to allow time for access and any necessary repairs. If a report is current, locate it and send it to the incoming tenant before they occupy the home.
That small routine makes the difference between a manageable maintenance task and a stressful key-handover problem.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a new EICR for every new tenant?
Not automatically. A current report may be used for a new tenancy if the installation was inspected within the required interval and the report does not leave necessary work or investigation unresolved. Give the new tenant a copy before they move in.
What if my EICR says “C3”?
C3 means improvement is recommended. C3 alone does not make an EICR unsatisfactory, but read the entire report for any other observations.
How quickly must I deal with an unsatisfactory EICR?
Required remedial work or further investigation must generally be completed within 28 days, or sooner if the report specifies a shorter period. Treat an immediate danger urgently.
Can I give the tenant a booking confirmation instead of the report?
A booking confirmation shows that an appointment has been arranged; it does not show what the inspection found. The landlord must obtain the report and provide it to the new tenant before occupation.
What should I keep after remedial work?
Keep the original EICR and appropriate written confirmation from the qualified person showing that the required work or investigation was completed. Share the documents as required under the electrical safety rules.
