2026 electrical-safety changes: what landlords should do now

The official parliamentary timeline records Lords approval on 14 October 2026 and Commons approval on 20 October 2026, concluding the procedure in both Houses. A statement that parliamentary approval is still awaited as at early October is therefore out of date.

Regulation 1 of the published amendment text specifies 30 November 2026 for commencement. Parliamentary approval, the making of an instrument and its coming into force are different events. Use the final legislation when checking the legal position on or after commencement; the parliamentary timeline is not a substitute for it.

Check Parliament's approval timeline and read the amendment text.

The amendment text changes the edition of BS 7671 cited in the definition of electrical safety standards, clarifies when an existing report can satisfy the pre-tenancy inspection requirement, and removes references to further investigative work from specified post-inspection duties.

The saving provision matters: the specified changes to investigative-work duties do not apply to an inspection and test completed before 30 November 2026. Keep the inspection date and the report together. Do not assume the same wording applies to every historic report once a later date arrives.

These are separate from the social-housing transitional deadline before 1 November 2026. Check the tenancy and landlord status before choosing which provision applies.

Under BS 7671:2018+A4:2026, FI means further investigation advised and does not, by itself, make the overall EICR unsatisfactory. Earlier report formats may treat FI differently. Read the edition, overall assessment and written observations together, and ask the inspecting electrician to explain the required action.

For a specified tenancy in England, a report that indicates an actual or possible breach of the electrical safety standards and requires investigative or remedial work engages a separate landlord duty. Ensure that the required work is completed by a qualified person within 28 days of the inspection, or within any shorter period stated in the report. Obtain the qualified person's written confirmation and give it, with the relevant report, to the tenant and the local authority within 28 days of completion. Immediate danger needs an immediate safety response; a technical report label is not permission to delay.

The IET's explanation of the A4:2026 FI change addresses the technical report format. The landlord regulations determine the separate statutory duty.

Source position checked on 27 October 2026. This guide is general information, not a determination of a particular tenancy or installation. We have not treated parliamentary approval as proof that a future duty already applies.

• Keep the complete EICR, inspection date, next-inspection date and any written confirmation of follow-up work.
• Act on immediate or potentially dangerous findings and follow the timescale the report requires.
• Check whether the tenancy is covered by the England regulations and whether social-housing transitional provisions apply.
• For an inspection on or after 30 November, check the final instrument, commencement and saving provision before changing your procedure.