The short answer
Yes. In England a tenant has a clear right to the EICR. The landlord must supply existing tenants with a copy within 28 days of the inspection without being asked, and must give a new tenant a copy before they move in. A prospective tenant who asks for the report in writing must receive it within 28 days of the request. If a tenant has not been given the report, they can ask the landlord directly, and if it is still not provided they can report the matter to the local authority, which can require the landlord to produce the report and can take enforcement action. The right exists because the regulations are designed to let tenants see that the electrical installation in their home has been inspected and is safe.
Tenants are sometimes unsure whether they are entitled to see the EICR or whether it is something only the landlord and council deal with. The regulations give tenants a defined right, with deadlines attached.
A tenant's EICR rights (England)
- Existing tenantcopy within 28 days, unprompted
- New tenantcopy before moving in
- Prospective tenantwithin 28 days of a written request
- If refusedreport to local authority
- Authority canrequire the report and enforce
When the landlord must hand the report over
The 2020 regulations place the duty to supply the report squarely on the landlord, and a tenant should usually receive it without having to ask. The key timings are:
- Existing tenants: a copy of the latest EICR within 28 days of the inspection.
- New tenants: a copy before they occupy the property.
- Prospective tenants: if someone considering the tenancy requests the report in writing, the landlord must supply it within 28 days.
If remedial work was required and carried out, the tenant is also entitled to the written confirmation that the work is complete. So in practice a tenant should not normally need to chase the report at all — but if they have not received it, they are well within their rights to request it.
| Tenant situation | What they should receive | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Already living there | Latest EICR | Within 28 days of the test |
| About to move in | EICR | Before occupation |
| Considering the tenancy | EICR on written request | Within 28 days |
| After remedial work | Written confirmation of completion | Within 28 days of completion |
England, Electrical Safety Standards 2020. Confirm current detail on GOV.UK. Source: GOV.UK guidance.
What a tenant can do if the report is not provided
If a tenant asks for the EICR and the landlord does not provide it, the tenant is not without options. The sensible first step is a written request to the landlord or agent, which creates a record and often resolves the matter. If the report is still not forthcoming, the tenant can contact the local authority — usually the private-sector housing or environmental health team — and report that the landlord may not be meeting the electrical safety duty.
The local authority has the power to require the landlord to produce the report and, where it finds the landlord in breach, to serve a remedial notice and impose a financial penalty. The tenant does not have to prove the breach themselves; raising a credible concern is enough to prompt the authority to investigate.
Why the right matters
The point of giving tenants access to the EICR is straightforward: the people living in the home are entitled to know it is electrically safe. The report shows whether the installation was found satisfactory or unsatisfactory and flags any observations, so a tenant can see at a glance whether work was needed and, where it was, that it has been confirmed complete.
A tenant who is concerned about the electrics — for example, frequent tripping, scorch marks or buzzing sockets — can use the EICR as a starting point and, if the report is out of date or absent, treat that as a reason to press the landlord and, if necessary, the local authority. Because the regulations apply in England and the detail can change, tenants elsewhere in the UK should check their own nation's rules, and anyone unsure of their position can confirm it with their local authority.
How to make the request effectively
A tenant who has not received the EICR and decides to ask for it can make the request more effective with a little structure. A clear, written request leaves no doubt about what was asked and when, which matters if the local authority later becomes involved. A useful request usually:
- is made in writing — an email or letter rather than a passing verbal comment;
- names the document specifically, asking for the most recent Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) for the property;
- asks for any confirmation of remedial work if the report was unsatisfactory;
- gives the landlord a reasonable, stated period to respond and keeps a copy of the message.
Most landlords respond to a polite, specific request without any further escalation, because providing the report is a duty they are expected to meet anyway. Keeping the exchange in writing simply protects the tenant if the report is not forthcoming and the matter has to go further.
The EICR alongside a tenant's wider rights
Access to the EICR is one part of a broader set of protections a tenant has around the condition and safety of their home. Alongside the electrical report, a tenant in England is generally entitled to a gas safety record where there are gas appliances, working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, and a home kept free of serious hazards under housing health and safety standards. The EICR is the electrical strand of that wider picture.
If a tenant believes the property is genuinely unsafe — not just that paperwork is missing — the local authority can assess the home against housing health and safety standards and require the landlord to deal with serious hazards, which can include electrical ones. A tenant should not carry out major electrical work themselves or arrange it and deduct the cost without taking advice, as the rules around that are more involved. The straightforward right here is to see the report and expect the installation to have been inspected; where there is a real safety concern beyond that, the local authority and tenant advice services such as Shelter are the appropriate places to turn. Because rules vary across the UK and change over time, a tenant outside England should check their own nation's position.
Frequently asked questions
Can I ask my landlord for the EICR?
Yes. A tenant is entitled to a copy of the EICR. Existing tenants should receive it within 28 days of the inspection without asking, and new tenants before they move in. If you have not been given it, you can request it directly.
What if my landlord refuses to give me the EICR?
Put the request in writing, then contact your local authority's private-sector housing or environmental health team. The authority can require the landlord to produce the report and can take enforcement action if the landlord is in breach.
Does a tenant have to pay to see the EICR?
No. Supplying the report to the tenant is the landlord's duty under the regulations, at no cost to the tenant. The tenant is entitled to a copy and, where remedial work was done, to written confirmation that it is complete.
Sources & further reading
- GOV.UK — electrical safety standards in the private rented sector: guidance
- Shelter England — gas and electrical safety in rented homes
Figures on this page are typical UK ranges drawn from published sources and depend on your specific property. They are guidance, not a quotation. Legal duties are summarised for guidance — confirm the current position on GOV.UK.