Lewisham · England
EICR (Electrical Safety Report) in Lewisham
Arrange a EICR (Electrical Safety Report) for your Lewisham rental without the ring-around: we confirm price and availability, the certificate arrives digitally, and the renewal date is tracked for you.
Straight answer
The EICR answers one question: is this property's fixed wiring safe? An electrician inspects and tests against the national wiring standard, grades faults C1 to C3, and issues a report that rental law in England, Scotland and Wales requires to be satisfactory and no more than 5 years old. NI has no matching general duty yet, but the report remains the standard evidence of electrical safety in Lewisham.
Booking
How it works
We're building coverage in Lewisham through our national onboarding programme, and we won't pretend otherwise with a fake availability calendar. Send the property details and we'll confirm by email whether we can cover the job, and the price, before anything is committed.
The inspection
What the electrician actually tests
Expect the visit to be methodical: a visual inspection of the consumer unit, accessible wiring, sockets and switches first, then instrument testing of every circuit with the power isolated in turn. The electrician records results per circuit on the schedule of test results — the part of the report worth keeping safe — and classifies anything found from C1 (danger present) down to C3 (improvement recommended).
Credentials
Who you're letting in
EICR isn't a protected task, which is exactly why vetting matters: anyone can buy a pad of forms. Our bar is demonstrable competence — recognised qualifications, scheme registration, calibrated instruments, insurance — checked before a booking is confirmed, not after a dispute.
The law
The rules behind the certificate
England's 2020 regulations put teeth behind the EICR: councils — London Borough of Lewisham locally — can demand a copy within 7 days, require written confirmation of remedials, and issue penalties of up to £30,000 per breach. In Scotland the duty lives in the Repairing Standard; in Wales, the Renting Homes (Wales) regime. Northern Ireland is the exception, with no equivalent blanket requirement yet.
Private landlords must have the fixed electrical installation inspected and tested at least every 5 years by a qualified and competent person, give the report to tenants within 28 days (and to new tenants before they occupy), supply it to the council within 7 days if asked, and complete any remedial work within 28 days.
Private landlords must have an electrical safety inspection at least every 5 years, covering the installation and appliances the landlord provides.
Landlords must obtain an electrical condition report at least every 5 years and give contract-holders a copy.
There is no blanket 5-yearly EICR duty for private tenancies in Northern Ireland at present, though periodic inspection remains strongly recommended and may be required for HMOs.
Penalties stated are statutory maximums or court-set; London Borough of Lewisham is the local housing authority for Lewisham.
Pricing
What an EICR costs
Expect pricing by property size as a proxy for circuit count: studios and small flats at the lower end, larger houses higher. If a quote looks dramatically cheap, check the schedule of test results is included and remedial pricing is transparent. The figures here are guidance for budgeting, confirmed properly before any visit.
Paperwork
Copies, deadlines and remedial evidence
In England the report comes with deadlines attached: copies to existing tenants within 28 days, to new tenants before occupation, to prospective tenants within 28 days of a request, and to London Borough of Lewisham within 7 days if asked. Unsatisfactory results add another: remedial work within 28 days — or sooner if the report says so — with written confirmation kept alongside the report.
The local picture
Letting in Lewisham: the practical points
Nothing about the test itself changes in Lewisham — BS 7671 is the standard everywhere. What's local is enforcement and licensing: London Borough of Lewisham is the housing authority, in England councils hold the £30,000 penalty power, and any HMO licence will expect the current satisfactory report among its papers.
FAQ
EICR (Electrical Safety Report) questions, answered
How long does an EICR take?
Usually 2 to 4 hours for a typical flat or house, longer for larger properties or older installations. Power is switched off circuit by circuit during testing, so tenants should expect short interruptions.
My Lewisham property is a new build — do I still need an EICR?
A new installation comes with an Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC), which in England can stand in place of the first EICR for 5 years from installation. After that, the normal 5-year EICR cycle applies.
Do tenants get a copy of the EICR?
In England, yes: existing tenants within 28 days of the inspection, new tenants before occupation, and prospective tenants within 28 days of a request. London Borough of Lewisham can also demand a copy, which must be supplied within 7 days.
What information does an EICR contain?
The report identifies the property and the extent of the inspection, records test results per circuit, lists observations with C1/C2/C3/FI classifications, states an overall satisfactory or unsatisfactory outcome, and gives the recommended date of the next inspection.
What do the C1, C2, C3 and FI codes on an EICR mean?
C1 means danger present, immediate action required. C2 means potentially dangerous, remedial work needed. FI means further investigation required. C3 is an improvement recommendation only. A report with any C1, C2 or FI is unsatisfactory; C3s alone still pass.
Who can carry out an EICR in Lewisham?
A qualified and competent person — in practice an electrician who tests against BS 7671, typically registered with a scheme such as NICEIC or NAPIT. Landlords should ask for evidence of qualifications, scheme membership and insurance before booking.
Nearby
Nearby coverage: Greenwich · Southwark · Bromley · Tower Hamlets · all of London
Sort your EICR (Electrical Safety Report) without the phone-tag: tell us about the property and we'll take it from there. Request pricing for Lewisham
Sorting your EICR (Electrical Safety Report) in Lewisham?
Tell us the property and we'll confirm coverage and price by email before anything is committed.