Landlord EICR Certification

Over the last 20 years or so, the updates to the wiring regulations have pretty much brought the need for RCDs to be provided to just about every circuit. However, these changes are not applied retrospectively…
 

Whilst there is no regulatory requirement to update older installations to a more modern specification, the issue of RCD protection arises at the time of an electrical report.

In most cases, no RCD will result in a C3 which will is still acceptable.

Our recommendation:

We would strongly advise full RCD protection even if only a C3 (recommended improvement)

The advantage RCD protection is it may identify faulty equipment before becoming dangerous

To users & property thus protecting your investment.

From the 1st of April 2021, there is a nationwide legal requirement to have an EICR 

report for any rented property.

When an EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report) is completed at a property, an electrician gives a thorough inspection & test of the installation before writing up a report of its condition.

There are a number of inspections completed as part of this report which focus on whether or not the installation has RCD protection. These include requirements for sockets, cables buried in walls, circuits in bathrooms and now also lighting circuits.

Depending upon the age of the installation in question, it could have RCDs protecting all the above, just some circuits or indeed, none at all. 

 When an inspection is completed, the lack of an RCD where now required by newer regulations would be highlighted. Most of these scenarios would warrant only a C3 – IMPROVEMENT RECOMMENDED issue were an EICR be completed.

A landlord's electrical report can still be classed as SATISFACTORY even if the installation has a number of C3 issues. There are however a number of situations where the lack of RCD protection is considered more of a danger and thus would be coded as C2 – POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS.

These include, but are not limited to:

• Where the type of earthing used at the property dictates that an RCD is required to ensure that the power cuts off in the event of a fault. These types of installation would have an “earth spike” and would have “TT” written on the report as the earthing type.
• Where circuits are used to supply “mobile outdoor equipment”. For example, an outdoor socket without RCD protection would fall into this category due to the use of portable outdoor tools, particularly in the case of electric lawnmowers. This could also apply to garage sockets, etc… this is due to the increased risk of fatal shock when outdoors.
• Examples where an installation has been completed more recently, (when RCD protection has been a requirement), however, an RCD was never fitted for whatever reason.

 In this instance, you need to speak to your electrician and ask which particular requirement for RCD protection they are referring to.

From this, your electrician will be better able to advise what the required remedial works are. It may be possible that RCDs may only need to be installed on one or two particular circuits.

This is due to the impossibly large number of variables.

Ultimately if your electrician has completed an electrical installation condition report properly, they are effectively completing a risk assessment of the dangers of your installation against the regulations.

It is not always as simple as ‘does it tick this box’ – certain things comply in certain situations, where omission of certain regulations is permitted if other particular conditions are met. Sounds complicated….? That’s because it is!

Whilst most people’s experience of electrics is just 3 wires to a plug or a socket, an electrician is working to a tight set of regulations that govern everything from:

• The size of cable to be used
• The way in which it is installed
• Types of circuit breakers that ensure it will cut off in the event of a fault
• Which type of clip or support can be used and where
• Whether metal pipework is ‘bonded’ to earth
• and so much more….