EICR Cost in London: What Landlords Pay and Why It Matters

What an EICR actually costs in London, what moves the price up or down, and why every landlord is on the hook for one every five years.

By Ali Elm

Managing Director•3 June 2026

Electrician testing a consumer unit during an EICR in a London home

Most landlords want one number before anything else, so here it is. An EICR in London usually costs somewhere between £150 and £300 for a flat or small house, rising to £300 to £450 for larger homes and HMOs with more circuits to test. It is not a tax on owning property. It is a safety inspection of the wiring you are legally responsible for, and skipping it can cost a great deal more than the test itself.

What an EICR actually is

EICR stands for Electrical Installation Condition Report. An engineer inspects and tests the fixed electrical parts of the property, then writes up the condition in a formal report. According to the government guidance for landlords, that means the wiring, the socket outlets, the light fittings and the consumer unit, sometimes still called the fuse box.

Faults are graded with codes. A C1 means danger is present and needs sorting straight away. A C2 means it is potentially dangerous. A C3 is an improvement recommendation that does not fail the report. If your report comes back with any C1 or C2 codes, the installation is marked unsatisfactory and the remedial work has to be done.

How much does an EICR cost in London?

The price tracks the size of the job, not the postcode. As a rough guide:

Studio or one bed flat: £130 to £180
Two or three bed flat or terrace: £180 to £280
Four bed plus house: £280 to £400
HMO or property with multiple consumer units: £350 and up, often priced per unit

What pushes the figure around is the number of circuits the engineer has to test, how easy it is to get to the consumer unit and accessories, and the age of the installation. Older wiring takes longer to test and is more likely to throw up issues. Remember the report and any remedial work are two separate things. A failed report does not mean the electrician pads the bill, it means specific faults need fixing, and a good one will quote those clearly before touching anything.

Why landlords cannot skip it

This is the part that catches people out. Since 2020, landlords in England must have the electrics inspected and tested at least every five years, and supply a copy of the report to the tenant within 28 days. Those are not our rules, they are set out plainly in the private rented sector electrical safety standards.

Miss it and the council can step in. Financial penalties run up to £30,000 for breaches, which makes a £200 inspection look like the bargain of the year. We handle this day in, day out for landlords and letting agents, so if you have a portfolio and no idea when each property was last tested, that is exactly the kind of thing our landlord services are built around.

How often do you need one?

For a rented home it is every five years, or at a change of tenancy if that comes first. If you live in your own home there is no law forcing your hand, but an inspection every ten years is sensible, and it is the interval most electricians recommend. Buying or selling? An EICR gives both sides a clear picture of what they are dealing with before money changes hands.

Frequently asked questions

Is an EICR a legal requirement?

For rented property in England, yes, every five years. For your own home it is strongly recommended rather than required.

How long does an EICR take?

A flat is usually a couple of hours. A larger house with more circuits can take most of a day. Power is switched off in sections while we test, so it is worth planning around.

What happens if the property fails?

You get a list of the coded faults and a quote to put them right. Once the C1 and C2 items are fixed, we reissue a satisfactory report.

Can you do it across all London boroughs?

Yes. We cover every Greater London borough for both single properties and portfolios.

Booking an EICR

If your certificate is close to its five year mark, or you genuinely cannot remember the last one, do not wait for a tenant to flag it. We give you a clear price up front and the report in your inbox, not three weeks later. Take a look at our EICR and electrical certificates service, or call us on 020 3653 2600 and we will get you booked in.