Posted on 10/10/2023 by North Wales Holiday Cottages
You need to have an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) for your property. This must be completed by a suitably qualified person and will test the fixed parts of the electrical system like wiring, sockets, light fittings, the consumer unit (where the circuit breakers are located) and also things like extractor fans and showers. The EICR lasts for 5 years unless you have some electrical work done, in which case it will require renewing.
The report
You will be given a report identifying the property, the date the inspection took place, how the testing was done and what was covered. The property will have an overall assessment made, e.g. "satisfactory". The report will give further details including any recommended actions. These will be categorised as
C1 - Dangerous
C2 - Potentially Dangerous
C3 - Improvement Recommended
items categorised as C1 or C2 will need fixing to make your property safe for guests.
TIP - If you have some electrical work done on your property, you should be given an Electrical Installation Certificate for the completed word. This is just for the work done and does not cover the rest of the property, you will still need an EICR so the whole property is covered. The only exception to this is for a new property or one where the complete wiring system has been renewed, in which case the EIC will be OK and will also last for 5 years.
Further information: gov.uk has guidance for landlords on electrical safety