EICR and landlord electrical testing in Skegness
An Electrical Installation Condition Report, or EICR, is an inspection and test of the fixed wiring in a property, done with the power off circuit by circuit. In Skegness it is landlords, holiday let owners and businesses who ask for one most, and each of them is working to a different set of rules.
What the 2020 regulations ask of a Skegness landlord
The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 apply to most private tenancies, houses in multiple occupation included. The installation has to be inspected and tested by a qualified person before a tenancy begins and then at least every five years, or sooner if the last report sets an earlier date.
The paperwork has deadlines of its own. Existing tenants get a copy within 28 days of the inspection, a new tenant gets one before moving in, and a prospective tenant who asks in writing gets one within 28 days. If East Lindsey District Council asks in writing, it gets a copy within 7 days. Keep the report and hand it to whoever does the next inspection. A council can fine a landlord up to £30,000 for a breach.
If a tenant will not let anyone in, the regulations accept that a landlord who has taken all reasonable steps is not in breach. Keep a record of every attempt, because that record is the evidence.
When the report finds something
Each observation on an EICR carries a code. C1 means danger is present, C2 means it is potentially dangerous, and FI means further investigation is needed before anyone can say. Any of those three makes the report unsatisfactory. C3 is an improvement we recommend, and it does not make the report fail.
For a landlord the clock starts on the day of the inspection. Remedial work or further investigation has to be finished within 28 days, or sooner if the report says so, by a qualified person. Then you need written confirmation that the work is done, sent with the original report to the tenants and the council within 28 days of the work being finished. We quote any remedial work separately, so you can see what it involves and choose who carries it out.
Holiday lets, guest houses and caravan parks
A holiday let is not a tenancy, so the 2020 regulations do not cover it. The government's fire safety guide for small paying guest accommodation still asks for the electrical installation to be inspected and tested at least every five years, and an insurer will usually want to see the report after a claim. Booking the test between November and March, when the property is empty, keeps it off the busy weeks.
Holiday parks work to their site licence and their insurer, which is a different conversation and one we cover on our leisure page.
Shops, cafes and seafront businesses
There is no single date in law for testing a business's wiring. The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 require electrical systems to be maintained so as to prevent danger, so far as is reasonably practicable, and a current inspection report is how a business shows it has done that. Insurers and the IET's guidance set the intervals most businesses work to in practice.
Seafront premises in Skegness take more punishment than most. Salt air works on outdoor fittings and earth clamps, and kitchens, chillers and amusement machines put a heavy load on boards that were never sized for it. Testing in the closed season, with nobody inside, is quicker and keeps the doors open through the summer.
Working in Skegness.
Our team at CES Lincs frequently works in Skegness, and much of that is inspection and testing for landlords, holiday let owners and businesses in the town. For an EICR in Skegness, ask for a free quote or ring the office, and we will book a date that suits your tenants or your season.
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