EICR for Landlords in Sevenoaks, Kent

CJA Electrical carries out landlord EICRs across Sevenoaks and the surrounding Sevenoaks 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 Sevenoaks District Council able to enforce penalties up to £30,000 per breach. This page covers what a landlord EICR actually involves in Sevenoaks and what booking the work with us looks like in practice.

What an EICR involves for Landlord

A landlord EICR is the formal evidence that the fixed wiring in your rented Sevenoaks property meets BS 7671:2018+A2:2022 — the 18th Edition Wiring Regulations, Amendment 2. The inspection is part visual and part instrumented. We open up the consumer unit, examine accessories on every floor, walk the supply route, and check earthing and bonding. Then we test every circuit — dead testing for continuity, insulation resistance, and polarity, then live testing for earth fault loop impedance and RCD operation. The output is a written report with observation codes against any findings: C1 for danger present, C2 for potentially dangerous, C3 for improvement recommended, and FI where further investigation is needed. A satisfactory report has no C1, C2, or FI observations.

When you need this in Sevenoaks

Beyond the five-yearly cycle, Sevenoaks 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. Sevenoaks District 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 Sevenoaks District 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 Sevenoaks EICR

The pitch is straightforward: ten years on Sevenoaks 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 Sevenoaks, 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 Sevenoaks District Council won’t push back on.

How the inspection runs

The standard process for a landlord EICR in Sevenoaks: Initial conversation by phone, WhatsApp, or email — confirm the address, property size, and access arrangements. Quote returned the same day. Tenant access agreed through the letting agent or directly with the tenant. On-site inspection in a single visit, with power off only briefly on each circuit while it’s tested. Written PDF report within 48 hours. Remedial work, if needed, quoted separately and re-tested on completion. Most three-bed homes are tested in a single morning or afternoon.

What affects the price

Landlord EICR pricing is per property and depends on a handful of variables: the size of the property, the number of circuits, the type and age of the consumer unit, accessibility of the consumer unit and meter cupboard, and the age of the installation overall. Sevenoaks’s older stock — particularly properties with original wiring from the 1960s or earlier — takes longer to test thoroughly. No deposit on standard work, no charge for the quote. Get in touch with the address for a same-day fixed price.

FAQs

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 Sevenoaks 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.

Does the report need to be in a specific format?

The 2020 regulations don’t mandate a single format, but the standard EICR form is universally accepted by councils, letting agents, the Private Rented Sector Database, and insurers. Reports issued in non-standard formats can lead to pushback from Sevenoaks District Council or your agent — so the standard form is what we use.