Landlords are unwittingly exposing their tenants to the serious danger of fire because they opt for the cheaper option when hiring an electrician for their EICR report.

That’s the claim from Landlord Licensing & Defence which says many landlords don’t appreciate why some electrical firms charge more than others for the Electrical Installation Condition Reports.

Landlords were given responsibility for having an electrical inspection carried out every five years under Section 5 of the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 which states that landlords should hire a ‘qualified and competent person’ to do the work. 

The firm says: “Most landlords haven’t a clue how they should judge who is qualified and competent and simply chose the cheapest.

But there are one week and two-day courses that claim to train almost anyone to meet the minimum requirements for testing electrical installations. As a result, many landlords are unknowingly putting their tenants at risk by hiring the cheapest, rather than the most qualified, electricians.”

It says this issue has become so widespread that several councils with selective licensing regimes now insist that EICR certificates be carried out only by NIC/EIC or NAPIT-registered electricians.

Phil Turtle, fire compliance expert at Landlord Licensing & Defence, says: “We believe that this is a step in the right direction, as some electricians have been known to carry out up to 10 inspections per day, which is simply not enough time to ensure a thorough check.

“To put this into perspective, a thorough inspection of a flat takes around three hours, while a small house takes four hours. This means that a proper inspection will cost a landlord up to £500. However, many firms are offering cheap inspections for as little as £80.”

He says that while the low price may seem like a good deal on paper, it is important to remember that cheaper inspections will not provide the level of detail required to ensure tenant safety.

He points to a report by the Institute of Engineering and Technology published last year that found evidence that inadequate EICR safety inspections on buildings across England are increasing the risk of fire.

“As a responsible landlord, you have a duty to ensure that your tenants are safe and secure in their homes. That’s why we recommend that you use the services of a reputable company to carry out an inspection that only uses properly qualified NIC/EIC or NAPIT-registered electrician. Please don’t put your tenants’ lives at risk by cutting corners” he concludes.

The firm offers a free booklet for landlords that explains the cause of fires and how landlords can prevent them.

Landlords can use the Registered Competent Person website to find a Registered competent tester by selecting ‘to undertake an electrical safety report’ on the search page.