Tool
Work out when your next EICR is due
Enter the date of the last inspection. If the answer is that you have years left, that is what you will be told.
England. The five-year maximum applies to privately rented homes; owner-occupiers have no duty at all.
When is your next EICR due?
Where the interval comes from
One of these is law, the rest are guidance
The checker only computes a date for a rented home, because that is the only row with a duty behind it.
| Property | Interval | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Rented home | 5 years | Legal duty |
| Owner-occupied home | 10 years | Recommendation |
| Caravan | 3 years | Recommendation |
| Swimming pool | 1 year | Recommendation |
Source: Electrical Safety First — periodic inspection explained. The recommendations originate in IET Guidance Note 3, Table 3.2, which gives initial frequencies for new installations rather than a fixed rule.
This describes the law in England. The Welsh and Scottish positions differ, Scotland's repairing standard also covers portable appliances, which the England duty on private landlords does not. It is general information, not legal advice. Last checked against the primary sources on 27 August 2026.
What overrides it
A shorter interval on the report wins
Where a report specifies an interval shorter than five years, that is the one that applies. It is not a suggestion sitting alongside the statutory maximum; it replaces it, and it is the date the duty runs to.
This is the most common way a landlord ends up out of date while believing they are compliant. The five-year figure is well known and the shorter one is printed on the report.
Next step
Due soon? Send the postcode
If it is not due yet, we will say so instead of booking you in.
Questions
Due date questions
How is the date worked out?
Five years from the date of the last inspection, which is the statutory maximum for a privately rented home in England, or the shorter interval if the report specified one. It is arithmetic on the date you enter rather than advice.
Why does it not give a date for my own home?
Because there is no duty to compute against. An owner-occupier in England is not required to hold an EICR, so there is no due date, only a recommendation.
My report specified three years. Which applies?
The three years. Where a report specifies a shorter interval than five years, that shorter one is what applies and what the checker uses.
Does a new tenancy change the date?
No. The report runs with the installation rather than the tenancy. You do have to give a new tenant a copy before they occupy.
Get a quote
Arrange an EICR
Five fields. We reply with either a fixed price or the one thing we still need to know.
- No cost, and no obligation to book anything
- Your details are never sold on or passed around
- A fixed price for the work described, in writing
Would rather talk it through? Leave a number in the form and say so in the details, and we will ring you rather than emailing back.