The 2020 Regs, in plain English
Since 1 April 2021, every property let on a new or renewed tenancy in England must have a satisfactory EICR every 5 years. Existing tenancies had a 1 April 2021 backstop. The penalty for non-compliance is a fine of up to £30,000 per property issued by Thanet District Council. Certificate must be given to tenants within 28 days of the inspection, to a prospective tenant on request within 28 days, and to the local authority within 7 days if they demand it.
Coding you'll see on the report
- C1 - Danger present. Immediate remedial action required. Anything C1 makes the report unsatisfactory. We phone you the same day.
- C2 - Potentially dangerous. Report is unsatisfactory until remedial is done.
- C3 - Improvement recommended. Report can still be satisfactory with C3 items outstanding.
- FI - Further Investigation required. Report is unsatisfactory until FI clears.
Landlords must action C1, C2 and FI within 28 days of the inspection date (or a shorter period if specified on the report).
Price
EICR inspection in Ramsgate starts from £190, for a 1-bed flat with straightforward access. 2-3 bed houses with a single consumer unit and standard circuit count, and larger 4-5 bed East Cliff or Vale Square villas with multiple sub-boards or HMOs needing per-room isolation, are quoted individually on survey depending on size and access.
What's tested
Full BS 7671:2018 Amendment 2:2022 inspection to the depth required by the Electrical Safety Council's Best Practice Guide 4. That includes: consumer unit inspection, RCD trip test at 30mA, insulation resistance test on all circuits, earth loop impedance, main equipotential bonding, supplementary bonding in bathrooms, socket polarity, and a visual and instrumented check on lighting, sockets, cooker, shower and any outbuildings. Reports include photos of any coded item.
Turnaround
Inspection: 2-4 hours on-site depending on size. Report delivered by email within 5 working days, hard copy in the post if you want one. Same-day if the tenancy is already blocking on it - say so at booking.
Landlord special: EICR plus PAT
If you want portable appliance testing (kettle, iron, table lamps) at the same visit, we do it for £75 for up to 15 items, bulk pricing on larger jobs. Not a legal requirement but a smart insurance and due-diligence signal for portfolio landlords.