Landlord electrical safety duties (ESS PRS Regulations 2020)

The five-year inspection duty

Under the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020, landlords must arrange inspection and testing of the electrical installation at least once every five years, carried out by a properly qualified person. A fresh EICR is required at each cycle — there is no longer interval even where the previous report found no defects. If the EICR specifies a shorter interval, that takes precedence.

The 2025 social-sector extension

The duty now extends to the social rented sector following the 2025 amendment regulations. Where a social landlord supplies electrical equipment to tenants, there is an additional duty to have that equipment tested — not just the fixed installation.

Evidence for tenants

Following inspection and testing, landlords must supply tenants with evidence confirming the installation has been inspected, tested and checked — typically the EICR itself. It serves as the compliance document for both audit and tenant assurance.

The follow-through

The inspection is only half the duty. Any required remedial work must be completed within 28 days, with written confirmation the installation is safe. Keeping the report, the remedial evidence and the tenant-issue record together is what makes the duty defensible.

PropertyActions is an admin and recordkeeping tool. This guide explains the duty and the records involved; it is not legal advice and does not replace a competent person carrying out the statutory assessment.