Landlord EICR in Sittingbourne

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

What Landlord EICR actually is

For rental property, the EICR is both a safety inspection and a compliance document. The safety side is what gets tested — the same inspection-and-test process as any EICR. The compliance side is what landlords actually need: documentary evidence, in a format Swale Borough Council accepts, that the installation meets BS 7671 at the date of inspection. The 2020 PRS regulations require a satisfactory report (no C1 or C2 observations) every five years and at the start of each new tenancy. Reports referencing C3 observations alone still pass. Unsatisfactory reports (C1 or C2 present) trigger a 28-day deadline for remedial work to be completed and a fresh certificate to be issued.

When you need Landlord EICR in Sittingbourne

The 5-yearly cycle plus new-tenancy rule is the headline. The practical scheduling reality for most Sittingbourne landlords is a rolling diary — set a reminder a couple of months before the certificate expires and book the re-test in good time so any remedials don’t bump the property into out-of-compliance territory at the renewal date. Letting agents typically manage this on behalf of the landlord via a portfolio diary; private landlords often track it via the expiry date on their last certificate. Either way, getting the inspection done a couple of months ahead of expiry gives breathing room for any remedials needed before the deadline actually bites.

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 Sittingbourne 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 Swale 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 Swale 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 Sittingbourne 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?

Swale 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. Swale 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.