If you are a private tenant in England or Scotland, your landlord must have the electrical installation checked every five years
Answered by Sarah, Electrical Safety Expert
If you are a private tenant in England or Scotland, your landlord must have the electrical installation checked every five years. They should provide you with a copy of the Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) that will either confirm that the installation is safe or highlight hazards that need to be fixed. Any repairs must be carried out within 28 days of the EICR being issued.
There is currently no legal requirement to have the electrics tested in Wales or Northern Ireland, but we recommend that landlords do so on a five yearly basis to ensure that their tenants and properties are safe.
If you own your property, we recommend that you have the electrics checked every ten years, using a registered electrician. You can find one near you here.