Expert electrical advice from our NICEIC registered team
Written by Tim, NICEIC registered with 18+ years experience in Poole & Dorset · 5-star Google reviews · Same-day fixed quote, no obligation.
EICR cost in 2026: an electrical safety certificate is from £120 for a 1-bed flat, £150 for a 2–3 bed house, £200 for a 4–5 bed house or HMO, and £250 for commercial premises. The certificate is valid for 5 years on rental properties, penalties for non-compliance run up to £40,000 per breach, and 2026 is the first major renewal year. Most certificates issued when the rules came in (2020–21) expire now. We’re NICEIC registered and carry out landlord EICRs across Poole, Bournemouth and the rest of Dorset: book via our EICR page. Below is the full guide: what the inspection covers, the C1/C2/C3 codes, the landlord rules, and what happens if you fail.
2026 is the first major EICR renewal year. If your rental property was first certified in 2020 or 2021 when the regulations came into force, your EICR expires this year. Penalties for non-compliance have increased to up to £40,000 per breach. Don’t leave it to the last minute: book your EICR now.
You get the price before we come out. It covers testing every circuit, the coded report and the certificate:
| Property | Typical size | EICR price |
|---|---|---|
| 1-bed flat | Studios and small flats | From £120 |
| 2 to 3 bed house | Most terraced and semi-detached homes | From £150 |
| 4 to 5 bed house or HMO | Larger homes and shared houses | From £200 |
| Commercial premises | Shops, offices, workshops | From £250 |
Where a house sits in its band comes down to its age, how much has been added or altered over the years, and how easy the consumer unit is to get at. If the inspection turns up work that needs doing, we price that separately and you decide before we start.
Need an EICR for your rental? Message Tim on WhatsApp and he’ll give you a fixed price and can usually book within a week. Multi-property rates available.
Most people call it an electrical safety certificate. On paper it’s an EICR. It’s what letting agents want, what buyers’ solicitors ask for, and what the law says a rental needs every 5 years. Same inspection, same price: from £120 for a flat, £150 for a typical 2 to 3 bed house and £200 for a 4 to 5 bed house, agreed before we turn up.
Landlords pay the same as anyone else: from £120 for a 1-bed flat up to £200 for a 4 to 5 bed house or HMO, and £250 for commercial. If you’ve got several properties we do multi-property rates and book them back to back where we can. A rental certificate lasts 5 years, so that’s £24 to £40 a year per property. Not having one can cost you up to £40,000 per breach.
An Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) is a formal document produced after a thorough assessment of the electrical installation in a property. Previously known as a periodic inspection report, an EICR checks the condition of wiring, circuits, earthing, bonding, and the consumer unit (fuse box) to identify any defects, damage, or wear that could present a safety risk.
The inspection is carried out by a qualified and registered electrician (such as an NICEIC registered contractor) who will test every circuit, visually inspect accessible parts of the installation, and produce a detailed report with coded observations. It forms part of our wider electrical testing and inspection service, which also covers PAT testing, fire alarm checks, and emergency lighting.
The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 made EICRs a legal requirement for all rental properties in England. The key requirements are:
The penalty for non-compliance is up to £40,000 per breach. Local authorities have the power to arrange remedial work themselves and bill the landlord if necessary.
The £40,000 fine is not theoretical. BCP Council (covering Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole) actively enforces these regulations, particularly in areas with high concentrations of rental properties. Boscombe, Winton, Charminster, and Springbourne all have significant HMO populations, and council enforcement teams conduct regular compliance checks. For a breakdown of the six specific mistakes that trigger BCP penalties, see our BCP Council EICR enforcement guide for Bournemouth landlords.
Beyond the fine itself, a missing or expired EICR can void your landlord insurance, delay tenant moves, and (if an electrical fault causes injury) expose you to personal liability. An EICR from £120 is one of the lowest-cost compliance items in a landlord’s budget, and one of the highest-risk to skip.
If you manage HMOs in the Bournemouth area, our HMO Electrical Compliance Guide covers the additional requirements specific to multi-occupancy properties.
An EICR is more than just a quick visual check. The inspection includes:
Observations are classified using standard codes:
Most EICRs take 2 to 4 hours. It depends on the size of the property and how many circuits it has. A 1-bed flat takes around 1.5 to 2 hours, a 3-bed house 2 to 3 hours, and a large 4 to 5 bed house 3 to 4 hours. We’ll tell you how long to expect when you book.
The power has to go off for parts of the test, circuit by circuit, so plan around it. Tenants need to know beforehand, and anything that mustn’t lose power, like a medical device or a fish tank pump, needs mentioning when you book. You get the report within 48 hours, or the same day if it’s urgent.
For postcode coverage and local FAQs, see the EICR testing hub, with sections for EICR Bournemouth and EICR Poole.
If C1 or C2 codes are found, the report will classify the installation as “unsatisfactory” and remedial work is required. For landlords:
The most common remedial finding is an outdated consumer unit without RCD protection. A consumer unit upgrade from £450 resolves this in a single day and brings the property up to current standards.
At Lilliput Electrical, we can often carry out minor remedial work during the same visit, saving you time and a second callout. For larger items, we’ll provide a clear quote before proceeding.
When you receive your EICR report, each observation is classified with a code. Here’s what they mean in plain English:
| Code | Meaning | Action Required |
|---|---|---|
| C1 | Danger present | Immediate action: your electrician should make it safe during the inspection |
| C2 | Potentially dangerous | Urgent remedial work required within 28 days |
| C3 | Improvement recommended | Not dangerous, but should be addressed at the next opportunity |
| FI | Further investigation | Could not fully inspect, needs investigation to determine the risk level |
A report with any C1 or C2 codes is classified as unsatisfactory. For landlords, this means remedial work is legally required. A report with only C3 codes (or no codes at all) is classified as satisfactory.
The most common C2 finding we see across Dorset is an outdated consumer unit without RCD protection. A consumer unit upgrade from £450 resolves this in a single day.
There’s no legal requirement for homeowners to have an EICR before selling. However, there are strong practical reasons to get one:
For homeowners not selling, we recommend an EICR every 10 years or when moving into a new property.
In most transactions, the buyer pays for any electrical inspections they want carried out. An EICR is not part of a standard building survey. It’s a separate specialist inspection. If the buyer requests one, they typically commission and pay for it directly.
That said, if you’re selling and want to provide an EICR proactively (to strengthen your position), you’ll pay for it yourself. At £150 for a typical 3-bed house, it’s a small cost relative to the value of a smooth sale.
If you manage multiple rental properties across Poole, Bournemouth, Christchurch, or Wimborne, we offer multi-property rates and can schedule inspections back-to-back to minimise cost and disruption. We keep records of all EICRs issued and can send renewal reminders when your 5-year cycle is approaching.
Many portfolio landlords in the Boscombe and Winton areas use us as their regular EICR provider. We coordinate directly with tenants and letting agents to arrange access.
EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report): the formal report produced after a full inspection and test of a property’s fixed electrical installation. Previously called a periodic inspection report.
C1 (Danger present): risk of injury exists now. The electrician should make the situation safe before leaving.
C2 (Potentially dangerous): not an immediate danger, but could become one. Urgent remedial work required; makes the report unsatisfactory.
C3 (Improvement recommended): safe but below current standards. Does not fail the report.
FI (Further investigation): part of the installation couldn’t be fully inspected; the risk level can’t be confirmed until it is.
Unsatisfactory report: an EICR containing any C1, C2 or FI observation. For rentals, remedial work is legally required within 28 days.
ESSPRR 2020: the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020, the law that makes 5-yearly EICRs mandatory for landlords.
Consumer unit: the modern fuse box: the board of circuit breakers and RCDs that protects every circuit in the property.
RCD (Residual Current Device): a safety device that cuts power in milliseconds when it detects current leaking to earth, the protection that prevents fatal shocks.
EIC (Electrical Installation Certificate): issued for new electrical work (like a rewire or new consumer unit); an EICR reports on the condition of an existing installation.
Ready to book? Message Tim on WhatsApp or call 07809 680068. Fixed pricing, fast turnaround, and we handle remedial work if needed. We cover all of Poole, Bournemouth, Christchurch, Wimborne, and East Dorset.
For a home, the electrical safety certificate is an EICR. It costs from £120 for a 1-bed flat, £150 for a 2 to 3 bed house and £200 for a 4 to 5 bed house or HMO. The price is fixed before we arrive.
Yes. Landlords, agents and buyers call it an electrical safety certificate. Its proper name is an Electrical Installation Condition Report, or EICR, and it's the report the 2020 rental regulations require every 5 years.
From £120 for a 1-bed flat, £150 for a 2–3 bed house, £200 for a 4–5 bed house or HMO, and £250 for commercial premises. Fixed quotes, no hourly rates. Area pricing: EICR Poole and EICR Bournemouth.
At least every 5 years, and before any new tenancy begins. Most rental EICRs were first issued in 2020–21 when the regulations came into force, so 2026 is the first major renewal wave, so check your certificate date now.
Local authorities can fine landlords up to £40,000 per breach. BCP Council actively enforces across Poole and Bournemouth, and a missing or expired EICR can also void your landlord insurance.
Any C1 or C2 code makes the report unsatisfactory. Remedial work is legally required within 28 days (immediately for C1), then a satisfactory report is issued and provided to tenants within 28 days. We can often fix minor items during the same visit.
There's no legal requirement for owner-occupiers, but we recommend one every 10 years, when moving into a new property, or before selling. Buyers' solicitors increasingly ask for one, and a satisfactory report removes the objection before it's raised.
A qualified, registered electrician, such as an NICEIC-registered contractor. Registration means the report is independently verifiable and accepted by local authorities including BCP Council.
Tim and his team are happy to answer questions or provide a free, no-obligation quote. 5-star Google reviews and counting.
Tim and his NICEIC-registered team are here to help. Message us on WhatsApp or call 07809 680068 for a free, no-obligation quote.
