Landlord EICR in Basildon
Rented homes in Basildon need an electrical safety certificate at least every five years, and at the start of every new tenancy.
Covering SS13, SS14, SS15, SS16 and the surrounding area.
Book a landlord EICR in BasildonWhat the regulations require of Basildon landlords
The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 require the electrical installations in a rented home to be inspected and tested at intervals of no more than five years, and before a new tenancy begins. The inspection has to be carried out by a qualified and competent person, it is assessed against BS 7671, the UK wiring regulations, and it produces an EICR.
Once you have the report there are three further duties, and they are the ones landlords most often miss. A copy goes to the existing tenants within 28 days. A copy goes to any new tenant before they move in. And the local authority gets a copy within seven days if it asks for one.
Where the report is unsatisfactory, the remedial work has to be completed within 28 days, or sooner if the report specifies a shorter period, and you then need written confirmation that it has been done. That 28 day clock is why leaving the inspection until the deadline is tight is a bad idea: an unsatisfactory result gives you far less room than you expect.
What it costs to get it wrong in Basildon
Local authorities can impose a financial penalty of up to £30,000 for a breach of these regulations. They can also arrange the remedial work themselves and recover the cost from the landlord. This is enforcement that actually happens rather than a theoretical maximum, and it is worth more than the inspection many times over.
We arrange the inspection, and we tell you before your certificate lapses so the renewal does not creep up on you. If the report comes back unsatisfactory you are under no obligation to use the same electrician for the remedial work.
Renting out property in Basildon
A large privately rented sector across SS13 to SS16 means most of the volume here is landlord compliance work on the five-year cycle, and portfolios rather than single properties. Where a landlord holds several addresses in the same postcode district it is usually cheaper to have them inspected in one visit than one at a time.
What inspectors find in Basildon rentals
An installation from the 1950s or 1960s is comfortably past the point where its original wiring was expected to still be in service. Where a property has not been rewired, the recurring findings are rubber or early PVC cable that has gone brittle, a rewirable fuseboard, no RCD protection on socket circuits, and a lighting circuit with no earth at the switch. Many of these homes have been rewired once already, in which case the inspection is straightforward and the interest is in what was done since.
As well as Basildon itself, we regularly arrange work in Laindon, Pitsea, Vange, Langdon Hills and Fryerns. The billing authority is Basildon Borough Council. The price follows the property rather than the postcode, so there is no surcharge for reaching any of them.
If you are weighing up whether you need one, read what landlords need to have in place, or check the areas we cover.
Get a fixed price for Basildon
Tell us about the property and we will reply with a fixed price, with no call-out charge added afterwards and no obligation to proceed.
Basildon: common questions
- When exactly does a Basildon landlord need a new EICR?
- At intervals of no more than five years, and before a new tenancy starts if the existing report will not still be valid for that tenant. A report with time left on it carries over to a new tenancy, so you do not need a fresh inspection for every changeover. If your report specifies an interval shorter than five years, that shorter interval is the one that applies.
- Do I have to give the report to my tenants?
- Yes, and this is a duty in its own right rather than good practice. Existing tenants get a copy within 28 days of the inspection. A new tenant gets one before they take occupation. Anyone requesting to become a tenant gets one within 28 days of asking. Reports are issued digitally so you can forward them straight on.
- What if the report is unsatisfactory and I cannot get the work done in 28 days?
- The 28 day limit runs from the inspection, and it is not generous once you have arranged quotes and access. If the work genuinely cannot be completed in time, the practical answer is to start it and document that it is under way, because the regulations look at whether you took the required steps. The better answer is to book the inspection well before your deadline so the 28 days is not the binding constraint.
- My Basildon property is original New Town stock. Will it fail?
- Not necessarily, and age on its own is not a reason to fail an installation. What matters is the condition of what is there. An unrewired property from that era often does come back unsatisfactory, usually on the lack of RCD protection and the state of the original cable, but plenty have been rewired at some point and pass without comment. The report tells you which of those you have.
- I have several rental properties in Basildon. Can they be done together?
- Yes, and it is worth asking. Several addresses in Laindon, Pitsea or Vange booked as one job take less travelling than four separate visits, and the price reflects that. Send the addresses through the quote form together rather than one at a time and you will get a single fixed price for the set.
- How much does an EICR cost in Basildon?
- EICR costs depend on the size of the property and the number of circuits, so you get a fixed price before booking rather than an hourly rate. A standard domestic EICR on a two or three bedroom home is a single flat fee with no call-out charge on top. Send the property details through the quote form and you will get the price in writing.
- How often do landlords need an EICR?
- Landlords in England must have the electrical installations in rental properties inspected at least every 5 years, and at the start of a new tenancy. You must give the report to tenants within 28 days and to the local authority on request. We remind you before your electrical certificate expires so the renewal does not creep up on you.
- Do you carry out commercial EICRs?
- Yes. We arrange domestic and commercial work, from flats and houses through to shops, offices and commercial premises. Inspection intervals for commercial premises are usually shorter than domestic, and the electrician will advise the right interval for your electrical system when quoting.
- What happens if the report is unsatisfactory?
- An unsatisfactory result means at least one C1 or C2 item was found. The report explains what was found in plain English, the remedial electrical work is quoted separately, and the EICR certificate is re-issued once it is put right. You are under no obligation to use the same electrician for the repairs.