Quick answer: An EIC (Electrical Installation Certificate) certifies that new electrical work has been done safely. It's issued once, when the work is completed. An EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report) assesses whether an existing installation is still safe. It's the one landlords in England must have, at least every 5 years. An EIC will not satisfy your landlord duty. If your electrician handed you an EIC after a rewire and you've filed it as your compliance document, you don't currently have what the law asks for.
This one catches out more landlords than any other paperwork mix-up we see.
You've had work done. The electrician hands you an official-looking certificate covered in test results and signatures. You file it. Then the council, or your letting agent, or your licensing officer, says it isn't valid.
They're probably right. And it isn't because the electrician did anything wrong.
What is an Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC)?
An EIC is issued when a new electrical installation, or a substantial addition or alteration to one, is completed. A new consumer unit. A rewire. A new circuit for a kitchen extension.
It's a declaration that the work just carried out complies with BS 7671. It typically carries three signatures covering design, construction, and inspection and testing. Sometimes all three are the same person on a small job.
Think of it as a birth certificate for the work. It says: this was built correctly on this date.
What is an EICR?
An EICR is a periodic health check on an installation that already exists. Rather than certifying new work, it assesses the current condition of everything that's there, and grades any problems using observation codes.
It ends with an overall verdict: satisfactory or unsatisfactory.
Think of it as an MOT. It says: as of this date, this installation is (or isn't) in a safe condition to keep using.
Our full guide to what an EICR covers walks through the inspection in detail.
EIC vs EICR: the key differences at a glance
| EIC | EICR | |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Electrical Installation Certificate | Electrical Installation Condition Report |
| What it covers | New work, or an addition/alteration | The existing installation as a whole |
| When it's issued | Once, on completion of the work | Periodically, on inspection |
| What it proves | This work was done to BS 7671 | This installation is currently safe, or isn't |
| Outcome stated | A declaration of compliance | Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory |
| Uses observation codes? | No | Yes. C1, C2, C3 and FI |
| Signatures | Up to three (design, construction, inspection and testing) | One (the inspector) |
| Satisfies the landlord 5-year duty? | No | Yes |
| Typical validity | No expiry. It records a moment in time | Up to 5 years, or less if the report specifies |
Where does the Minor Electrical Installation Works Certificate fit in?
There's a third document, and almost nobody explains it to landlords.
A Minor Electrical Installation Works Certificate (MEIWC) covers small additions or alterations that don't involve a new circuit. Adding a socket to an existing circuit, for example, or replacing a light fitting.
So the sequence is:
- New circuit or new installation → EIC
- Small alteration, no new circuit → Minor Works Certificate
- Assessing what already exists → EICR
None of the first two replace the third.
An EICR is also often confused with PAT testing, even though PAT covers portable appliances rather than fixed wiring — we cover that distinction in EICR vs PAT testing.
Why does the law require an EICR specifically?
Because the legal duty is about ongoing condition, not about past workmanship.
Regulation 3 of the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 requires landlords to ensure the electrical installations are inspected and tested by a qualified person at intervals of no more than 5 years, or sooner if the report specifies an earlier date.
An EIC can't do that job. It tells you a circuit was safe on the day it was installed in 2019. It says nothing about whether the installation is safe now.
The maximum financial penalty for breaching these duties is £40,000, a cap that rose from £30,000 on 1 November 2025 for private landlords. A compliant EICR costs a small fraction of that — see our full pricing and full London price comparison for current rates.
What to do if you've been given the wrong document
- Check the title at the top of the document. It'll say either "Electrical Installation Certificate", "Minor Electrical Installation Works Certificate", or "Electrical Installation Condition Report". That's the whole test.
- Look for observation codes. If there's no C1/C2/C3/FI coding and no overall satisfactory/unsatisfactory verdict, it isn't an EICR.
- Go back to the electrician first. If they did a full rewire recently, some will carry out the EICR at a reduced rate, since the installation is fresh in their mind.
- Don't assume a recent rewire buys you time. The clock on your EICR duty doesn't reset because new work was done. You still need a condition report.
- Keep both documents. The EIC is genuinely useful evidence at your next EICR and when you sell. Just don't rely on it for compliance.
If you do need a fresh report, our domestic EICR service covers standard rental properties across all 33 London boroughs, and you can book online in a few minutes.
A common council rejection you can avoid: Licensing teams reject landlord submissions for two reasons far more often than any other: the wrong document type (an EIC filed as an EICR), and missing competence evidence for the inspector. Both are fixable in advance. Check the document title, and ask your inspector for their competent-person scheme number before they leave.
Sources
- Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020, reg 3 (5-year inspection interval)
- Regulation 11 (£40,000 maximum penalty, raised from £30,000 by SI 2025/1043 from 1 November 2025 for private landlords)
- BS 7671 Requirements for Electrical Installations (IET Wiring Regulations), which sets the model forms for the EIC, MEIWC and EICR
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About the author
My Landlord Certificate Compliance Team
This guide was written and fact-checked by the My Landlord Certificate compliance team and reviewed against current UK legislation by our NICEIC-approved, NAPIT-registered, Gas Safe registered, accredited DEA and NEBOSH-qualified engineers. We help landlords across all 33 London boroughs stay compliant with fixed-price EICR, Gas Safety (CP12), EPC, Fire Risk Assessment and PAT testing.