Landlord EICR in Kings Hill

Landlord EICR testing for Kings Hill private rented property. Same-week appointments across the area, written report inside 48 hours of testing, certificates supplied in the BS 7671 Appendix 6 format that Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council and every major letting agent recognises. Tenant access can be arranged via the agent or directly with the tenant — whichever is easier — and the inspection itself is non-disruptive enough to fit into a single morning or afternoon visit.

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 Kings Hill

Two specific triggers apply to landlord EICRs: every five years on a rolling cycle, and at the start of any new tenancy. For most Kings Hill private rented property, that means the 5-year cycle is the main scheduling driver, with new-tenancy testing slotting in when properties change tenants between cycles. Beyond the regulatory triggers, common voluntary triggers we see in Tonbridge and Malling: a portfolio acquisition (new landlord taking over property where the existing certificate is questionable), a major refurbishment (recircuiting, consumer unit replacement), insurance renewal where the underwriter has asked for a current certificate, and council action where a tenant complaint has triggered an enforcement visit.

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

What gets tested on a landlord EICR: every circuit running off the consumer unit (lighting, sockets, immersion, cooker, shower, boiler), every accessible accessory (sockets, switches, light fittings, fan isolators), the consumer unit itself (visual inspection of devices and connections), and the main earthing and bonding at the intake. Common findings on Kings Hill rental property: ageing consumer units missing RCD protection on lighting circuits; loose backbox screws on tenant-occupied properties (where wear and tear has shifted faceplates); unprotected cable runs in lofts where tenants have been into the loft for storage; cracked switch plates from impact damage. Most are C2 or C3 — fixable, not catastrophic.

Why Kings Hill property owners book CJA Electrical

The repeat business that drives most CJA Electrical landlord work in Kings Hill comes from agents and portfolio landlords who use us across multiple properties. Once we’re set up on a portfolio diary, the rolling 5-yearly cycle handles itself — the agent gets a heads-up a couple of months ahead of each expiry, the inspection is booked direct with the tenant, and the certificate goes to the agent for landlord and council distribution. For private landlords with a single property or two, the process is the same just at smaller scale: book the inspection, do the work, supply the certificate, handle any remedials. Same-day quotes for new bookings, same-week appointments, transparent pricing.

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 Kings Hill 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

Do I need a separate certificate for each property in my portfolio?

Yes. Each rental property needs its own EICR — addresses, circuit details, and observations are property-specific. For portfolio landlords with several properties due at the same time, we can schedule the visits efficiently and bulk-deliver the certificates so the agent has the full portfolio in hand at once.

What about EICRs for HMOs?

HMO landlord EICRs follow the same 5-yearly cycle as ordinary rented homes, but typically also align with the HMO licence cycle issued by Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council. HMOs often have shared common-parts circuits (corridor lighting, fire alarm interface, escape route lighting) that get tested separately. We work to whatever the council specifically requires for the licence renewal.

Do I have to do an EICR every 5 years on a rental?

Yes. Since June 2020, every privately rented home in England must have a satisfactory EICR every 5 years and at the start of each new tenancy. The certificate must be supplied to tenants within 28 days of the inspection and to Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council on request within 7 days.

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.