Domestic and landlord EICR testing, otherwise known as an Electrical Inspection Condition Report (EICR) or periodic electrical testing, is a full-scale inspection of your electrical systems and installation. At Ram electrical, we have a specially trained EICR team to conduct these inspections.

Landlords are required by law to ensure:

• That the electrical installation in a rented property is safe when tenants move in and maintained in a safe condition throughout its duration.
• That a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) has a periodic inspection carried out on the property every five years. 
  If your property is not an HMO, you are not legally obliged to do this. However, we recommend that a periodic inspection and test is carried out on your rental properties at least every five years. 
• That any appliance provided is safe and has at least the CE marking (which is the manufacturer’s claim that it meets all the requirements of European law).

To meet these requirements a landlord will need to regularly carry out basic safety checks to ensure that the electrical installation and appliances are safe and working.

An EICR will check if your property’s electrics have any faults that cannot be identified through a visual check. A number of faults may occur, such as electrical circuits being overloaded or overheating during use. If any electrical circuit is not properly installed – for example, without earthing or bonding to safely secure the electrics – it may potentially cause a fire or shock hazard. EICR testing will identify any defective electrical work within the system.

A visual check can also be performed to give you a quick analysis of how safe your property is. This will look for broken sockets and light switches, damaged cables and scorching / burn marks as a result of overloading the power outlet. It will also look at the residual current device (RCD) for the circuits that operate the bathrooms and gardens. It is recommended that this visual check is completed at regular intervals in between the more in-depth EICR tests.

Electrical installations are not immune to the process of ageing, deterioration and even general wear and tear. For this reason, an EICR should be conducted at regular intervals. British Standard BS 76719 (IET Wiring Regulations) recommends the following intervals for businesses, landlords and homeowners:

• Businesses – employers are recommended to have an EICR test undertaken once every five years.
• Buy-to-let or rented property – landlords should have an EICR test done every five years or when new tenants enter the property.
• Homeowners – an EICR is recommended every 10 years. If the property has a swimming pool, this should be tested once every year.