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19+ Years Industry Experience
Dedicated customer & tech support
Easy 3 step booking process
Specialising in EICR surveys and related property services.
Over 19 years experience providing property surveys for all building types.
Contact us for free quotes and impartial advice.
Understanding who owns what helps explain the scale of EICR compliance. Census 2021 data shows England’s 24.8 million households split across three main tenure types.
In England and Scotland, private rented homes are legally required to have a valid EICR. In Wales, the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 requires landlords to ensure properties are fit for habitation, making an EICR best practice. From November 2025, the 4.2 million social rented homes in England are also brought into scope — meaning the vast majority of the UK’s rented housing will soon need regular electrical safety inspections.
The age of a property is one of the strongest predictors of whether it will pass an EICR. Older properties are far more likely to have outdated wiring, missing RCD protection, and deteriorated insulation. The English Housing Survey shows how dwelling age varies by tenure:
Private rented stock has the highest proportion of pre-1919 housing (21%) — properties most likely to have outdated wiring, fabric-insulated cables, and installations that predate modern safety standards. Over half of all private rented homes were built before 1970, putting them well within the age range where EICR failures are most common.
The chart below ranks the UK’s major cities by estimated number of privately rented dwellings — each one requiring a valid EICR. London’s estimated 898,300 private rentals dwarf all other cities, so the chart shows the top 20 cities outside the capital.
The capital alone accounts for more private rented homes than the next 10 cities combined. View London EICR data →
Landlord? Get your EICR — prices from £99.95+VAT. Stay compliant with the 2020 Regulations.
The 2020 Regulations originally covered only private landlords. From late 2025, the government is extending equivalent requirements to social housing, bringing an additional 4.2 million homes into scope.
All new private tenancies in England must have a valid EICR before tenants move in.
Extended to all existing private tenancies. Every private rented home in England now needs an EICR.
New social housing tenancies require a valid EICR. Registered providers must test electrical installations before new tenants move in.
Extended to all existing social tenancies. Housing associations and councils must have tested all occupied properties.
All social housing must have a valid EICR in place. Over 9 million UK homes are now covered by mandatory electrical safety testing.
This page combines data from official UK government and statistical sources. All figures relate to the most recent available data at time of publication.
Around half of UK domestic fires are caused by electrical sources, and the majority of those fires start in properties with installations over 25 years old. Regular inspection catches the faults — loose terminals, damaged cables, overloaded circuits — before they ignite.
Since mandatory EICRs were introduced for the private rented sector in 2020, attention on electrical safety in rented housing has intensified year on year. The regulations create a scheduled catch-point that finds degrading installations before they harm tenants.
Home Office fire statistics consistently show electrical sources among the leading causes of dwelling fires. EICRs target the fixed installation — the part a tenant cannot see and an untrained owner cannot safely assess.
Private rental — the majority of English rentals now hold a valid EICR. Non-compliance carries fines of up to £30,000 per property.
Social housing — 4.2 million homes coming into scope across 2025–2026. The Regulator of Social Housing has proactive inspection powers and unlimited fines under the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023.
Commercial — insurers increasingly require evidence of EICR currency at renewal. Lapsed inspection typically invalidates cover and is one of the most common causes of a rejected commercial claim.
HMOs — a valid EICR is a condition of HMO licensing in every UK nation. Unresolved Unsatisfactory results can trigger licence revocation.
See the full landlord EICR guide and commercial EICR guide for detail on sector-specific requirements.
See what landlords, homeowners and businesses say about working with Easy EPC.
UK Home Office fire statistics, ONS Census 2021, the English Housing Survey (MHCLG), Electrical Safety First campaign data, and gov.uk guidance. All figures are from the most recent available data and updated periodically.
Tenure and dwelling-age figures are primarily England (Census 2021 + English Housing Survey). Scotland and Wales have their own parallel regulations — Scotland since 2015, Wales for HMOs only. Northern Ireland currently lags on mandatory private rented sector EICR compliance.
All 4.9 million private rented dwellings in England, Scotland, and Wales require regular EICRs. From November 2026 the 4.2 million social rented homes in England will also be in scope, taking the total to over 9 million homes.
Pre-1970s wiring used rubber or lead-sheathed cables that degrade over decades. Older installations also predate modern RCD protection requirements. Over half of all private rented homes were built before 1970, which is why private rental stock sees the highest EICR failure rates.
Home Office figures show around half of UK domestic fires have an electrical cause. The majority of those fires start in properties with installations 25+ years old. EICRs find the precursor faults — loose terminals, damaged insulation, overloaded circuits — before they ignite.
Book an EICR in your city — from £99.95+VAT
Get a no-obligation quote for your domestic or commercial EICR. Our team will respond during opening hours.
