Landlord EICR in Ditton

CJA Electrical does landlord EICR work across Ditton and the wider Maidstone area — private landlords with one or two rentals, accidental landlords renting out a former main residence, and letting agents managing multi-property portfolios. The 2020 PRS regulations set the cycle (every 5 years and at the start of any new tenancy) and the consequences for non-compliance (civil penalties up to £30,000 from Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council). The work runs out of Rochester and Ditton sits within a 28-minute reach.

What Landlord EICR actually is

A landlord EICR is the same fundamental inspection as any EICR — a visual check of the consumer unit and accessible accessories, plus dead and live testing on every circuit — but commissioned to satisfy the 2020 PRS regulations. The output is a written report against BS 7671:2018+A2:2022, with observation codes (C1/C2/C3/FI) on anything that doesn’t meet the regulations. What’s specific to the landlord version is the documentation flow: the certificate must be supplied to existing tenants within 28 days of the inspection, to new tenants before they take occupation, and to Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council on request within 7 days. Reports formatted to the standard BS 7671 layout are accepted across the industry.

When you need Landlord EICR in Ditton

The legal cycle: every 5 years, plus the start of any new tenancy. The practical cycle: book a couple of months early so any remedials don’t bring you up against the deadline. Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council can serve a remedial notice requiring work within a fixed timescale if a property is found non-compliant during enforcement; civil penalties up to £30,000 apply for landlords who ignore the notice. For new-build or fully recircuited property, the first 5-yearly EICR is due 5 years after the original Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC) was issued — not 5 years after the property was let. That distinction occasionally catches landlords out on properties that were rented mid-way through the original install warranty.

Standards and what compliance looks like

Two regulatory references apply: BS 7671:2018+A2:2022 (the technical standard the inspection works to) and the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 (the law requiring the inspection in the first place). BS 7671 sets out what gets tested, what passes, what fails, and how observations are coded. The 2020 PRS regulations set the cycle, the documentation requirements, and the consequences for non-compliance. Reports formatted to BS 7671 Appendix 6 are accepted by Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council and across the private rented sector industry.

Testing schedule and remedials

The testing process on a landlord EICR is the same as any other — visual inspection first, then dead testing (continuity, insulation resistance, polarity, ring final continuity), then live testing (earth fault loop, RCD operation). What’s different on rental property is just the access logistics: we coordinate with the agent or tenant to schedule a single visit when they can be in, work around the brief power-downs during dead testing, and leave the property exactly as we found it. Most Ditton rental property comes in as a half-day visit for a typical three-bed home, with the report supplied as a PDF inside 48 hours of testing completing. For larger HMOs or multi-occupancy conversions, the on-site time can extend to a full day.

Why Ditton property owners book CJA Electrical

Three things matter on landlord EICR work: turnaround (certificate inside 48 hours so the agent or landlord can move on the next step), format (BS 7671 Appendix 6 layout that Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council accepts), and remedial pricing (clear line-by-line quotes against the report so the landlord can decide what to action). All three are why agents and landlords across Maidstone keep coming back. Operationally, the things that matter on letting work — fast scheduling, agent-friendly comms, certificates direct to the agent if requested — are all covered as standard.

How the work runs

Step one — the booking. We need property details (address, bedrooms, rough age of installation, any known issues) and the contact for tenant access (agent or tenant direct). Quote confirmed on that call for standard property; site visit first for unusual installations or HMO conversions. Step two — the testing visit. Half a day for most Ditton three-bed rental property; longer for HMOs and larger conversions. Brief power-downs during dead testing flagged in advance to the tenant. Property left exactly as found. Step three — the report. PDF inside 48 hours, supplied to landlord and agent. Remedials, if needed, quoted separately. Re-test scheduled once remedials are complete.

What affects the price

Pricing is transparent. A fixed price for the inspection, testing, and report, set on a brief scoping call with the agent or landlord. Separate quoting for any remedial work based on the report observations. Larger HMOs, multi-occupancy conversions, or properties with multiple consumer units get a capped quote after a quick site visit. The cap means certainty on the maximum cost going in. Re-tests after remedials are included in the original inspection price for the affected circuits.

FAQs

What happens if I don’t have a current EICR?

Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council can serve a remedial notice requiring you to bring the installation into compliance within a fixed timescale, and can issue civil penalties of up to £30,000 for non-compliance. Insurers may also refuse to honour claims related to electrical incidents on properties without current certification.

How is tenant access arranged?

Either through your letting agent or directly with the tenant — whichever is easier for you. We coordinate the visit a few days in advance, confirm the appointment with the tenant, and work around their schedule for the testing visit itself. Most testing visits take a single morning or afternoon.

Can the certificate be sent direct to my agent?

Yes. The PDF can go to you, your letting agent, your council, or all of the above. Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council accepts the standard BS 7671 Appendix 6 format, as do all the major letting agents and managing agents we’ve worked with.

What if the report is unsatisfactory?

An unsatisfactory report just means there are C1 or C2 observations that need clearing before the property is compliant. CJA Electrical can quote separately for the remedial work, and once it’s done a re-test confirms the installation is satisfactory. A fresh certificate is issued documenting the post-remedial state.

Do I need a fresh EICR every time I get a new tenant?

Not necessarily. The 2020 regulations say a satisfactory EICR must be in place at the start of any new tenancy. If the existing certificate is current (less than 5 years old) and the property hasn’t been altered since, that certificate is valid for the new tenancy too. A fresh EICR is only legally required if the existing one is expired, missing, or unsatisfactory.