MaintainlyHow often do you need an EICR electrical safety check?
Electrical safety check (EICR) every 5 years. The commonly recommended range is every 5 years. An EICR finds wear and dangerous faults in your wiring before they cause a shock or fire. This is a safety-critical task, so do not let it slip.
A periodic electrical inspection is an electrician inspecting and testing the fixed wiring of the property and reporting on its condition. In the UK the result is an Electrical Installation Condition Report, or EICR. It is not a visual walk-through: the installation is tested as well as looked at.
Why does an EICR electrical safety check matter?
An EICR finds wear and dangerous faults in your wiring before they cause a shock or fire.
What happens if you skip an EICR electrical safety check?
Anything in constant use deteriorates, and an electrical installation is no different. Damage, wear and missing earthing develop out of sight, and the failure modes are electric shock and fire. In England and Wales, landlords are also legally required to have rented homes inspected and tested at least every five years.
What does the professional actually do?
- Checks the adequacy of earthing and bonding
- Checks that the switchgear and controlgear are suitable, which is where an old fusebox gets flagged
- Checks the serviceability of switches, sockets and light fittings
- Identifies the type of wiring and its condition
- Looks for wear, damage and deterioration, and for changes in how the building is used that the installation was not designed for
- Issues a report listing damage, defects, dangerous conditions and anything that does not meet the current standard. If serious risks are found the installation is rated unsatisfactory and needs prompt remedial work
How do you choose someone qualified?
Electrical Safety First says periodic inspection and testing should be carried out only by electrically competent persons, such as registered electricians. Ask for the full report rather than a summary, and ask which findings need remedial work before the installation can be rated satisfactory.
What does it take?
How do you know an EICR electrical safety check is overdue?
- An old fusebox with a wooden back or cast-iron switches
- Cables coated in black rubber, which Electrical Safety First says were phased out in the 1960s, or in lead or fabric, which are older still
- Sockets or switches that are warm, discoloured, scorched or crackling
- Breakers that trip repeatedly, or lights that dim when appliances start
- No record of any inspection since you bought the property
What changes how often you need to do it?
- Rented property is on a fixed legal cycle in some countries rather than a recommendation
- Electrical Safety First advises an inspection before selling a property or buying a previously occupied one
- A major addition such as an EV charger, a solar array or a heat pump is worth raising with the electrician who installs it
- Electrical Safety First’s recommended intervals are shorter for higher-risk installations: 3 years for a caravan and 1 year for a swimming pool
When should you stop and call someone?
All of it. Fixed wiring testing needs calibrated instruments and the competence to interpret the results, so it is a job for a registered or licensed electrician and not a DIY task.
Does this differ in the US, UK, Australia or Canada?
United States
The EICR is a British document with no direct US counterpart. Electrical rules are set by state and local code, so ask your local building department what applies to your home, and have a licensed electrician assess an older house or one showing the warning signs above.
United Kingdom
This is the country where the EICR is a formal instrument. In England, landlords must have the electrics checked at least every 5 years by a properly qualified person and give tenants proof; the regulations began with private renting and were extended in 2025 to the social rented sector. Wales also requires landlords to have the installation tested every five years, or sooner if the previous report says so. For owner-occupiers, Electrical Safety First recommends an inspection every 10 years.
Australia
There is no EICR as such. In Victoria, rental providers must arrange an electrical safety check every 2 years, done by a licensed or registered electrician, and Energy Safe Victoria says all switchboards must have safety switches (RCDs) fitted. In Queensland all power point circuits in rental properties must have a safety switch, and the Electrical Safety Office recommends testing it every three months with the test button.
Canada
There is no EICR as such. Ontario’s Electrical Safety Authority recommends hiring a Licensed Electrical Contractor to assess a home’s electrical system, which is different from a general home inspection. It notes that many insurers will not provide or renew coverage on homes with knob and tube wiring, and that some require it to be replaced first, which is the practical trigger for many owners of older houses.
Frequently asked questions
Why does an EICR electrical safety check matter?
An EICR finds wear and dangerous faults in your wiring before they cause a shock or fire.
What happens if you skip an EICR electrical safety check?
Anything in constant use deteriorates, and an electrical installation is no different. Damage, wear and missing earthing develop out of sight, and the failure modes are electric shock and fire. In England and Wales, landlords are also legally required to have rented homes inspected and tested at least every five years.
Does an EICR electrical safety check differ by country?
UK: an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) is legally required every 5 years for rented homes in England and Wales and recommended for owner-occupiers. AU: no EICR equivalent; safety switches (RCDs) should be push-button tested every 3 months, and Victorian rentals need an electrical safety check every 2 years.
How we put this together
The figures, intervals and legal points on this page were checked against the sources listed below. The default interval and accepted range are the ones Maintainly uses in its task library. Costs and times are typical ranges and vary by region and by home. Your own manufacturer's instructions come first, and gas, electrical and structural work belongs with a qualified professional. How we research and write.
Sources
- Electrical safety standards in the private and social rented sectors: guidance, GOV.UK (Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government). Checked 11 October 2026.
- Periodic inspection explained, Electrical Safety First. Checked 11 October 2026.
- Fitness of homes for human habitation: guidance for landlords, Welsh Government. Checked 11 October 2026.
- Residential property safety checks, Energy Safe Victoria. Checked 11 October 2026.
- Electrical safety, Residential Tenancies Authority (Queensland). Checked 11 October 2026.
- Knob and tube wiring, Electrical Safety Authority (Ontario). Checked 11 October 2026.
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