Landlord EICR in Canterbury

CJA Electrical carries out landlord EICRs across Canterbury and the surrounding Canterbury area, working from our base in Rochester. The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 require every privately rented home in England to hold a satisfactory EICR — five-yearly cycle, copy to tenants within 28 days, and Canterbury City Council able to enforce penalties up to £30,000 per breach. This page covers what a landlord EICR actually involves in Canterbury and what booking the work with us looks like in practice.

What an EICR involves for Landlord

Landlord EICR work follows BS 7671:2018+A2:2022 — the wiring regulations every domestic installation in England has to meet. On a typical Canterbury rental we’ll inspect the consumer unit and every accessible accessory, then test every circuit individually. Dead testing covers continuity, insulation resistance, and polarity; live testing covers earth fault loop impedance and RCD performance against the times BS 7671 sets. The findings get coded — C1 (danger), C2 (potentially dangerous), C3 (recommend improvement), or FI (further investigation needed). The 2020 regulations treat any C1, C2, or FI as making the report unsatisfactory; C3 alone is fine.

When you need this in Canterbury

Beyond the five-yearly cycle, Canterbury landlords typically book in for one of these: A property has just changed hands and the EICR audit trail isn’t clean. A managing agent has flagged a property as compliance-overdue. Tenants are moving out and you want the EICR done during the void week before relisting. The property is going from rolling AST to a fresh fixed-term and you want the paperwork tidy. Canterbury City Council has written asking for a copy. Or — most boring but most common — the previous certificate is just running out and the diary slot is convenient.

What the report contains

The certificate that satisfies Canterbury City Council is a three-part document: the EICR form with the observation codes and overall outcome; the schedule of inspection documenting what was looked at; and the schedule of test results with per-circuit numbers. Reports issued without all three parts often get pushback at the council compliance end. If the report is unsatisfactory, the regulations require remedial works to be completed within 28 days of the inspection. Once they’re done, the re-test confirms the fix and a fresh satisfactory report is issued.

Why book CJA Electrical for your Canterbury EICR

The pitch is straightforward: ten years on Canterbury domestic property, City & Guilds 2391 qualified inspector for the testing, and a written report in the standard EICR format. Same-week appointments are typical for Canterbury, the PDF comes back within 48 hours of the visit, and remedial work is quoted separately so you can decide whether to instruct. Fully insured (£1m public and product liability), and the report is one Canterbury City Council won’t push back on.

How the inspection runs

The booking is built to minimise tenant disruption. 1. Phone, WhatsApp, or email with the property address and circuit count 2. Same-day quote with appointment options 3. Tenant access arranged via your letting agent or directly with the tenant 4. On-site inspection and testing — power off briefly on each circuit in turn 5. Written report (PDF) supplied within 48 hours, sent direct to you and to your agent 6. If unsatisfactory, remedial work quoted separately; re-test included once complete Most Canterbury landlord EICRs are wrapped up well inside the five-day window of a typical void-week schedule.

What affects the price

Pricing is per property. The variables that move the number: how many circuits, consumer unit age and type, how easy the consumer unit and meter are to access, and the overall age of the wiring. Larger Canterbury properties or those with multiple consumer units take longer; smaller flats are quicker. Get in touch with the property details and the quote comes back the same day.

FAQs

Do I need a new EICR between tenancies if the last one is in date?

You need to provide the new tenant with a copy of the current satisfactory report before they move in. You don’t need a fresh inspection if the existing certificate is still in its five-year window and the property hasn’t been altered since. If there’s been remedial work, a new circuit added, or a consumer unit swap, a fresh report is the safer answer.

How quickly do my Canterbury tenants need a copy of the report?

Existing tenants receive a copy within 28 days of the inspection. New tenants receive the report before they take occupation of the property. We can email the PDF direct to your tenant or to your letting agent for onward distribution.

Will the EICR cause much disruption for my tenant?

Less than people often expect. Most three-bed homes are tested in a morning or an afternoon. Power is off only briefly on each circuit in turn rather than for the whole visit, so a tenant working from home can usually carry on with most of their day. We confirm a slot in advance and give the tenant a clear picture of what to expect.

What happens if my Canterbury rental fails the EICR?

A failed EICR isn’t a disaster — it just means there’s at least one C1, C2, or FI observation. The report lists each item with its code. CJA Electrical can quote separately for the remedial work, and once it’s done a re-test confirms the installation is satisfactory and a fresh report is issued. The regulations require this within 28 days of the inspection.

Do I have to use the same electrician for the EICR and any remedial work?

No. The 2020 regulations require the remedial work to be done by a qualified and competent person and confirmed in writing — but they don’t require the same electrician. Most landlords have the original inspector do the remedials for the simpler audit trail and faster re-test, but you’re free to instruct anyone qualified.

Can I do remedial work myself if I’m a competent person?

If you hold the relevant qualifications and the work falls within your competence, technically yes. The 2020 regulations require written confirmation of the remedial work from a qualified and competent person, which can be the landlord if appropriately qualified. Most landlords have us do it for the speed and audit trail.