Sittingbourne Landlord EICR Specialists

CJA Electrical carries out landlord EICRs across Sittingbourne and the surrounding Swale 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 Swale Borough Council able to enforce penalties up to £30,000 per breach. This page covers what a landlord EICR actually involves in Sittingbourne 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 Sittingbourne 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 Sittingbourne

Beyond the five-yearly cycle, Sittingbourne 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. Swale Borough 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

A complete landlord EICR has more than one page. The full deliverable is the EICR form itself with the inspection date, the inspector’s qualifications, the property address, observation codes against any findings, and the overall pass-or-fail outcome. Alongside that sits the schedule of inspection (what was checked, what could not be) and the schedule of test results (per-circuit numbers for continuity, insulation resistance, polarity, earth fault loop impedance, and RCD operating times). Where the report comes back unsatisfactory, the 2020 regulations require the remedial work to be completed within 28 days — sooner if the inspector specifies. Once it’s done, a re-test confirms the affected circuits are satisfactory and a fresh report is issued.

Why book CJA Electrical for your Sittingbourne EICR

The pitch is straightforward: ten years on Swale 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 Sittingbourne, 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 Swale Borough Council won’t push back on.

How the inspection runs

Booking flow: Phone call or WhatsApp triage — what kind of property, how many circuits, who has the keys. Quote out the same day. Confirmed appointment with the tenant or agent. Visit on the day. Report in the inbox within 48 hours. Remedials, if any are needed, quoted clearly with the option to decline. From first call to certificate in your inbox is typically four working days. Tighter is possible when the void week or the council deadline demands it.

What affects the price

We don’t publish a price list because the variables genuinely matter — circuit count, consumer unit type, accessibility, and the property’s age all shift the quote. Sittingbourne stock varies, so a small terrace and a four-bed semi in the same postcode can be quite different jobs. Same-day fixed quote, no deposit on standard work, payment on certificate by card, transfer, or cash.

FAQs

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 Swale Borough Council or your agent — so the standard form is what we use.

How often do I need an EICR on my rental in Sittingbourne?

Every five years, and at the start of any new tenancy — whichever comes first. The clock runs from the date of the most recent satisfactory report. If you’ve bought a Sittingbourne rental in the last few years and the previous owner’s report is still in date, that report transfers with the property and you don’t need a new one until expiry.

Can Swale Borough Council fine me for not having an EICR?

Yes. Under the 2020 regulations, Swale Borough Council can issue civil penalties of up to £30,000 per breach for non-compliance, and serve a remedial notice forcing you to bring the installation up to standard within a defined period. The council can also request a copy of the certificate and must receive it within seven days of the request.

What does a C2 code mean and do I have to fix it?

C2 means potentially dangerous. The defect isn’t an immediate threat but it’s unsafe over the medium term — for example, a loose connection that could overheat, or earthing that doesn’t meet current standards. A C2 makes the report unsatisfactory, and the regulations require remedial work within 28 days of the inspection. Once it’s done, a re-test confirms the fix.

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 Sittingbourne 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.