Landlord EICR in Harlow
Rented homes in Harlow need an electrical safety certificate at least every five years, and at the start of every new tenancy.
Covering CM17, CM18, CM19, CM20 and the surrounding area.
Book a landlord EICR in HarlowWhat the regulations require of Harlow 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 Harlow
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 Harlow
The largest landlord compliance volume in the cluster. A big privately rented sector across CM18, CM19 and CM20 means most enquiries are five-year renewals or a certificate needed for a new tenancy, and portfolio bookings are common.
What inspectors find in Harlow rentals
Where the original New Town installation survives, it is now 60 to 75 years old and well beyond its design life. The recurring findings are rubber-insulated or early PVC cable that has become brittle, rewirable fuseboards, no RCD protection, lighting circuits with no protective conductor, and bonding to the incoming water and gas services that is either undersized or absent. Most of this stock has been rewired at least once, which is why age alone is not a verdict, but an unrewired Harlow property is very likely to come back unsatisfactory and the report will say precisely why.
As well as Harlow itself, we regularly arrange work in Old Harlow, Church Langley, Potter Street, Katherines and Sumners. The billing authority is Harlow District 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 Harlow
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.
Harlow: common questions
- When exactly does a Harlow 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.
- Do original Harlow New Town houses usually pass an EICR?
- Not if the installation is still the original one. A 1950s installation that has never been rewired will almost always come back unsatisfactory, most often on the absence of RCD protection and the condition of the cable. That is not a scare tactic, it is simply what a 70 year old installation looks like against the current standard. Many Harlow homes were rewired in the 1980s or later, and those frequently pass without significant findings.
- I manage several Harlow rentals. Can you handle the tenant access?
- Yes. For portfolio bookings the tenants can be contacted directly to arrange a time, so your team is not the one chasing access across several addresses. Send the addresses and tenant contact details through together and the visits are coordinated from there.
- How much does an EICR cost in Harlow?
- 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.