Landlord EICR in Longfield

CJA Electrical does landlord EICR work across Longfield and the wider Dartford 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 Dartford Borough Council). The work runs out of Rochester and Longfield sits within a 30-minute reach.

What Landlord EICR actually is

Landlord EICRs are governed by the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020. The inspection and the technical standards are the same as any other EICR — BS 7671:2018+A2:2022, observation codes, dead and live testing — but the regulations layer on top a defined cycle (5 years), a defined documentation flow (tenants and council get copies), and defined consequences (civil penalties up to £30,000 for non-compliance). The inspector’s job is the same regardless of who’s commissioning the work. What’s different is the paperwork and the deadlines — keeping the cycle on schedule, getting the certificate to the tenant inside 28 days, supplying it to the council if asked.

When you need Landlord EICR in Longfield

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. Dartford 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

The two pieces of paperwork that matter on a landlord EICR are the certificate itself (signed against BS 7671:2018+A2:2022) and the schedule of test results (the appendix recording each individual circuit’s test measurements). Both go to the tenant within 28 days of the inspection and to the council within 7 days of any request. Standards-wise, landlord EICRs aren’t held to a different technical bar than owner-occupied EICRs — same Wiring Regulations, same observation codes, same testing tolerances. The difference is the regulatory wrapper: defined cycle, defined paper trail, defined penalties.

Testing schedule and remedials

On site, landlord EICR testing is non-disruptive — the work is quiet, brief power-downs are limited to 5-10 minutes per circuit, and the testing equipment is non-destructive. Tenants typically don’t need to be home for the whole visit, just to provide access at the start. Testing follows the standard BS 7671 sequence: inspection of the consumer unit and accessories first, then dead testing (continuity, insulation resistance, polarity, ring continuity) on each circuit, then live testing (earth fault loop, RCD operation) once the supply’s restored. Each circuit’s results are recorded individually on the schedule of test results.

Why Longfield property owners book CJA Electrical

The repeat business that drives most CJA Electrical landlord work in Longfield 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 Longfield 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

The two factors that move Longfield landlord EICR pricing are circuit count (more circuits = more testing time) and access (single visit with full tenant cooperation versus multiple return visits). For straightforward domestic rental property with cooperative tenant access, the price is well-established and quoted up-front. What we don’t do: deposits, hidden charges, or fees beyond the quoted price. The fixed price is what’s invoiced on completion. Remedials are separate so the EICR price is the EICR price.

FAQs

Will the inspection disrupt my tenant?

Minimally. The on-site time is half a day for a typical three-bed home. Brief power-downs during dead testing are a few minutes per circuit. The tenant doesn’t need to stay in for the whole visit — just to provide access at the start. We work quietly and leave the property exactly as we found it.

How fast can I get a certificate if I need one urgently?

Same-week is standard. If a tenant move-in or insurance renewal deadline is tight, we can usually fit an inspection in within 24-48 hours of booking. Reports are turned around same-evening or next-morning where the deadline calls for it — just let us know up front.

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 Dartford 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 Dartford Borough Council on request within 7 days.

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

Dartford 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.