Quick answer: No. There is no requirement in England for a new EICR at every change of tenancy. The rule is an inspection at intervals of no more than 5 years, or sooner if the report itself specifies an earlier date. That's regulation 3(2) of the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020. What you do have to do for a new tenant is give them a copy of the most recent existing report before they occupy the property. That's a paperwork duty, not a re-inspection duty. If someone has told you otherwise, they're either mistaken or selling you an inspection you don't need.
This question comes up constantly, and almost always the same way: a letting agent or a contractor has told a landlord they need a fresh EICR because a new tenant is moving in.
It isn't true. And at £70 to £150 a time across a portfolio, believing it gets expensive quickly. For the background, here is what an EICR covers.
What the regulation actually says
Regulation 3(2) requires a landlord to ensure the electrical installations are inspected and tested:
- at intervals of no more than 5 years, and
- where the most recent report requires inspection and testing by an earlier date, no later than that date.
That's it. Tenancy changes appear nowhere in the interval rule.
Where a new tenancy does appear is in the reporting duties. Under regulation 3(3)(e)(i), you must supply the most recent report to a new tenant before that tenant occupies the premises.
So the trigger for a new tenancy is: find the existing report and hand it over.
When you genuinely do need a new EICR
Four situations. None of them is "a tenant moved out".
| Trigger | Why | Timing |
|---|---|---|
| 5 years have passed | The statutory maximum interval | Before the 5-year anniversary of the last inspection |
| The report specifies a shorter interval | Regulation 3(2)(b). Inspectors can and do recommend 3 years for older or higher-risk installations | By the date stated on the report |
| Significant electrical work has been done | A rewire or new consumer unit produces an EIC for the new work, but a material change to the installation may justify a fresh condition assessment (see EICR vs Electrical Installation Certificate) | Judgement call. Take your electrician's advice |
| A licence condition requires it | Some HMO and selective licensing conditions specify a shorter cycle than 5 years | As the licence states. Check your borough |
Damage or a suspected fault is a different matter. That's a repair issue, and you should get it looked at regardless of where you are in the EICR cycle. It doesn't automatically require a full new EICR.
Why do agents keep asking for one?
Three reasons, in roughly descending order of how common they are.
- Genuine misunderstanding. The 2020 Regulations were new in 2020, the rules were widely misreported, and plenty of agency staff learned it wrong and never unlearned it.
- Internal risk policy. Some agencies impose a stricter standard than the law does, because it's simpler to enforce than tracking 5-year cycles across a portfolio. That's a contractual position, not a legal one, and it's negotiable.
- Commercial interest. Where the agent has an in-house or preferred contractor, a per-tenancy inspection is recurring revenue. Not always the reason, but worth being alive to.
If your agent asks, the useful reply is to ask them to identify the legal requirement in writing. In our experience that usually ends the conversation.
What you must actually do at a change of tenancy
- Find the most recent EICR and check its date and any earlier re-inspection date it specifies.
- Give the new tenant a copy before they move in. Not within 28 days. Before occupation.
- Check the gas safety record separately. That one is annual, and a new tenant must receive a copy before moving in.
- Check the EPC. Valid 10 years, and it must be provided to the tenant.
- Test the smoke and CO alarms on the first day of the new tenancy and record it. That duty is triggered by the new tenancy.
- File the acknowledgement. Get the tenant to sign for the documents in the inventory or tenancy pack.
The one that genuinely is per-tenancy: People often conflate the EICR with the alarm check. Under regulation 4 of the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015, you must check every alarm is in proper working order on the day the tenancy begins if it is a new tenancy. That's the duty that resets with every tenant. Not the EICR.
How long is my EICR actually valid?
Look at the report, not the calendar. Every EICR states a recommended date for the next inspection. If the inspector wrote 3 years, then 3 years is your deadline, not 5.
Two other things to check on the certificate:
- The overall assessment. Satisfactory or unsatisfactory. An unsatisfactory report isn't a valid compliance document until the remedial work has been completed and confirmed in writing — see what happens if your EICR fails.
- The inspection date, not the issue date. The 5 years runs from the inspection.
If your five-year interval has come round — or you simply aren't sure whether your certificate is still in date — you can book an EICR online, see our full pricing, or read more about our EICR in London coverage.
Sources
- Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020, reg 3 (5-year interval at reg 3(2); report to a new tenant before occupation at reg 3(3)(e)(i))
- Regulation 11 (£40,000 maximum penalty)
- Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015, reg 4 (day-one alarm check at a new tenancy)
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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.