UK Landlord Forum / Life

I've just had an EICR done on a 20 year old flat, and the main reason for the "unsatisfactory" grading is because there is no RCD protection on any circuits on the distribution board.  Their charges to put this right were very high so I contacted another electrician also qualified to carry out EICRs and he has said that this isn't necessary as the rules are not retrospective and therefore not needed on an older property. 

I'm not really objecting to the upgrade, I would just like to know the law on it if anyone has had a similar issue? Thanks in advance!

For the purposes of meeting the requirements in the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020, you just need to find a suitably qualified electrician who's (genuinely) willing to give you a passing report in accordance with BS 7671:2018.

i.e. Get a new check and report from the new guy, then give a copy of their report to the tenant and you're fine.

Longer, more legalese answer:
After the first report that indicates the electrical safety standards are not met, the landlord have 28 days (or less if the report says so) to "undertake further investigative or remedial work [...] by a qualified person" to get a report saying standards are now met or more work or investigation is required in which case the 28 days requirements repeats itself. "A" qualified person, not necessarily the same qualified person. Technically, if a report was produced by the electrician stating a failure, the landlord is probably require to give a copy to the tenant, but practically I doubt anyone will care so long as there's a passing report within the required timeframe that's given.

Did the first electrician even gave you an actual report stating failure, or did they simply do the check and then told you "get this fixed before I can give a passing report"?

Thanks for your reply.  My agent arranged an electrician who has stated it is the law to change the fusebox  "because there is no RCD protection on any circuits on the distribution board"  He therefore gave an unsatisfactory EICR report.  I asked a second electrician about the grading and to quote for the work and he says that the law is not retrospective and therefore the fuse board does not need the standard of RCD protection that a new property would.  Both are qualified to do the EICR work.  So my question is which one of them is right?  I'm actually happy to do the work but I feel the first one may not be giving me the correct information??

The second one is right. Your insight serves you well.

Now, as you've said, it doesn't mean it's not a good idea to have the upgrade... but that's what it is - an elective upgrade (for safety reasons)... not mandatory remedial work. Your property did not become a higher risk overnight. I spoke to an Electrician yesterday and he told me his approach is to go into a property and eyeball it - if he can immediately tell it'll need a new consumer unit (or significant work) he phones straight away and he explains why (there are valid reasons). Then he doesn't do the EICR for £120 just to mark it unsatisfactory.. just the consumer board upgrade - which is notifiable and comes with documentation. He's assured me this is how I'll avoid that double-whammy. My fingers are crossed he's a good guy... it's all new to me too.

Some of my properties are very new and I expect nothing from them... but imagine total worst case scenario, as a gullible Landlord who unfortunately engages a shark Electrician - you think you've signed up to 10 EICRs at £120 a pop... a significant outlay... those are all done and - magically - all need new consumer units and you don't know enough to challenge it, and the deadline is approaching and you're panicking and, somehow, your Tenants are now aware they're now living in an "unsafe property"!!!... suddenly your bill rises by another £4,000! And that's it - you've had your trousers pulled down and you were shafted from behind, roughly.

I just found out two of my properties have EICRs that last until 2023 and 2026... result! I did think about harmonising the first... but I am not going to... that's £120 for me!

Thanks for replying and if only the price of them was €120 but it is considerably more in the area where our properties are! I don't mind carrying out work to upgrade the property.  But I mind being told it is the law!
To mark something dangerous, produce a certificate with "unsatisfactory" and then quote a really high amount to put it right is outrageous!  But I am off to them now armed with my facts and the other electrician's comments!! Thanks

I find... anecdotally only... that there's an element of subjectivity (I'm going to be kind and call it that... rather than imply some of these Electricians are opportunistic rogue traders) in the C3 through to C1 marking of things. Yes, there's guidance from the standards... the governing body, it's all very clear... but not all Electricians are alike (in skills, objectivity and morals)... and when Landlords have a new and unfamiliar mandatory exercise to complete in a certain timeframe (on pain of death, or worse) then it becomes something like a phishing email... it all appears genuine on the face of it, all the logos are in the right place, it sounds authoritative, and a sense of urgency is created... accompanied by the relative ease of having the same person perform the remedial work.

Quote from: Sue D on February 23, 2021, 10:45:09 AM
But I am off to them now armed with my facts and the other electrician's comments!!

I've got to ask, why? Just pay the other electrician to do a new test. If they give you a passing report, you're fine.

Appreciate you taking the time to comment but I don't really agree that an electrician should be able to say something is law when it isn't or classify something as dangerous when it isn't!

Relaying how that conversation actually went (good or bad) would be helpful to other Landlords. Many of us are supposed to be thick-skinned and conflict is (sadly) sometimes part of the life we lead... but when dealing with the trades we can sometimes find ourselves just paying-out. I, for instance, would be curious if you managed to get your report outcome changed... if you just make your point, feel better about it, and get another that's marked as satisfactory... or whether you actually go through with the work, thinking that you might as well get something beneficial from the experience rather than just paying out for two EICRs and no actual upgrade work / benefit.

I got nowhere with the report.  The first electrician is insistent on a C1 "dangerous" category, the second isn't.  It's something I intend to get done anyway but having a "dangerous" grading on a report (and then not doing anything to correct it when you were there) doesn't sound that ethical to me!  My second property assessed by the second electrician (and of a similar build age) had very little wrong!  I know who will be doing the work and then assessing the properties next time!!