Guides · 2026-06-25

EICR timing for Thanet landlords - the plain-English version.

Since June 2020 every private landlord in England has been legally required to hold a Satisfactory EICR for their rental property. Thanet District Council enforces this locally and has issued financial penalties for non-compliance. Here's what you actually have to do, when, and what happens if the report comes back Unsatisfactory.

The rule in one sentence

The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 require a Satisfactory EICR at least every 5 years, and a fresh Satisfactory EICR at the start of every new tenancy.

What "Satisfactory" actually requires

An EICR classifies findings as C1, C2, C3 or FI (see the EICR service page). For the report to come back Satisfactory it must contain no C1, no C2, and no FI codes. C3 codes (improvement recommended) are allowed and the report can still be Satisfactory. If the report comes back Unsatisfactory, the landlord must have the remedial work done within 28 days (or the shorter timescale on the report where the inspector specifies one), and then either get an EICR re-issued as Satisfactory or a Minor Works Certificate covering the remediation.

Where you send the paperwork

• To existing tenants - within 28 days of the inspection
• To new tenants - before they move in
• To Thanet District Council - within 7 days if TDC request a copy
• To the prospective tenant - within 28 days if requested

Enforcement in Thanet

TDC's Environmental Health team enforce the Electrical Safety Standards regulations. If a landlord doesn't hold a Satisfactory EICR, or fails to remediate within 28 days, TDC can issue a remedial notice and, on continued non-compliance, financial penalties up to GBP 30,000 per breach. In practice most enforcement action starts with a tenant complaint - a rental tenant who suspects the electrics are unsafe can email TDC's private-sector housing team and TDC will contact the landlord for the report.

The tenancy-change requirement people miss

The 5-year clock is one thing. The often-missed rule is that a fresh Satisfactory EICR is required at the start of every new tenancy if the previous one is expiring or the landlord is uncertain of its status. If your last EICR was 4 years ago and you're taking on a new tenant, technically you don't need a fresh one - the 5-year one still runs. But if you can't produce it, or if it's Unsatisfactory with unresolved codes, that's a compliance failure at handover. I'd suggest an EICR every 3-4 years on rental properties as a matter of policy - it stops the surprise fail at the wrong moment.

HMO overlap

Thanet's additional HMO licensing scheme covers most of Cliftonville and parts of Ramsgate. Licensable HMOs need a Satisfactory EICR at the start of each licence period (5-yearly matches the licensing cycle) and after any tenancy change in any of the units. HMO inspections take longer - I typically do these as a half-day visit for a 5-unit HMO. Report is issued per property, not per unit.

Portfolio landlord approach

If you own 5+ rental properties across Thanet I can price a portfolio EICR contract that undercuts per-property rates. Typical scope: rolling 5-year cycle, priority scheduling on tenancy-change EICRs, one PDF folder per financial year with everything filed for HMRC. Ping me for a portfolio rate card.

Common EICR fails on Margate rental stock

• Pre-2004 CU with no RCD - C2 automatic on socket circuits
• Borrowed neutrals on lighting circuits (old bedsit conversion habit) - C2
• Bathroom fittings in wrong zone - C2
• Undersized main earth conductor for TN-C-S supply - C2
• No 30mA RCD on shed or garden socket - C2
• Corroded external sockets and CU enclosures on seafront properties - C2 or C3 depending on CPC path integrity

What a fresh EICR costs

EICRs from GBP 190, depending on property size and unit count. Remedial work priced separately after the inspection so you can compare quotes.