HMO EICR certificates in London

Yes. The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 apply to every HMO let, exactly as they do to a single let. You need a valid EICR for the property at all times.

HMO licensing from your local authority commonly asks to see a valid EICR too. Licence conditions are set by each council, so check the current rules for your borough when you apply or renew.

Your duties under the 2020 regulations (checked 30 September 2026):

• Have the electrics inspected and tested at least every 5 years, or sooner if the report says so.
• Give existing tenants a copy of the report within 28 days, and new tenants before they move in.
• Send the council a copy within 7 days if it asks for one.
• Complete any remedial work within 28 days, or sooner if the report says so.
• Confirm the work in writing to your tenants and the council within 28 days of finishing it.
• Breaches can lead to council penalties of up to £40,000 per breach.

We test shared houses, bedsits and room lets for landlords, letting and managing agents and licence holders across London, from a single property to a full portfolio.

Letting a home to a single household? See our landlord EICR guide. Shop, office or mixed-use building? See our commercial EICR page.

Tell us what the report should cover: individual rooms or flats, shared kitchens and bathrooms, landlord supplies, or the whole building. The electrician tests exactly that, and the report states it clearly, so it matches what your council and tenants need to see.

• Every consumer unit (fuse board) in scope, including landlord and communal boards.
• Inspection and testing of the agreed installation, with any sampling and limitations recorded.
• Shared kitchens, bathrooms, hallways and stairs.
• Sockets, switches, lights and fixed appliances in each room or unit.
• Earthing and bonding to gas and water pipes.

Give us one contact for keys and access. Let your tenants know the date, that the electrician will need to enter each room, and that the power will go off for short spells during testing.

We visit Monday to Friday, morning or afternoon, with evenings and weekends on request, so it is easy to find a time that suits the household.

• Clear access to every fuse board and meter cupboard.
• Access to every room in scope, plus shared areas, loft or cellar if included.
• Tell us about entry codes, parking and any equipment that must stay powered.
• Any room we cannot enter is recorded on the report as a limitation, so you always know what was checked.

Your EICR is usually ready within 24 hours of completing the inspection. We email the PDF after payment, unless different written terms apply. It identifies the inspecting electrician, installation scope, findings and edition used.

• Inspection and testing of the agreed installation, with any sampling and limitations recorded.
• Every observation listed with its code.
• The recommended date for the next inspection.
• Repairs quoted separately. You choose the contractor.

A report is unsatisfactory if it records any C1 or C2 item. In a shared house one fault can affect several tenants at once, so we tell you plainly what is urgent and what can wait.

Repair work needs a separate agreed quote. Small repairs start from £150 + VAT (£180 inc VAT), and a full consumer unit replacement starts from £975 + VAT (£1,170 inc VAT). Choosing us for the repairs is optional; you may appoint another qualified electrician. That choice does not remove any duty to address the report's safety findings. See our remedial work page.

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.

Here is what each code means. For more detail, see the EICR classification code guide.

• C1, danger present: made safe straight away. The report is unsatisfactory.
• C2, potentially dangerous: must be fixed. The report is unsatisfactory.
• FI, further investigation: needs a closer look. Under the A4:2026 format it does not by itself make the report unsatisfactory.
• C3, improvement recommended: advisory only. The report can still be satisfactory.

A single self-contained residential unit may use the published residential bands, from £142.80 to £250.80 including VAT depending on size and the agreed installation scope. A shared-house or whole-building HMO needs a quotation when communal areas, landlord supplies or multiple boards are included. Enter the exact postcode in the calculator to check whether the £21.60 Central London travel charge applies.

Whole-building HMOs are quoted per building. Shared areas, landlord supplies, several fuse boards and fire alarm interfaces all add testing time, so each building is priced on what it actually needs.

No call-out fee, and you pay when your report is ready. Every price band is on the EICR cost guide.

For a single unit, get your fixed price in the price box on this page and book online in a few minutes. Tell us who will let the electrician in and whether shared areas are included.

For a whole building or a portfolio, call 0203 811 8331, WhatsApp +44 7760 505030 or email office@londoneicrcertificates.co.uk, and we will come back with a quote. You can also use our contact page.

Phone, WhatsApp and online booking are open 24/7, and we visit across London and inside the M25 on weekdays, with evenings and weekends on request. Free to change or cancel up to 24 hours before your visit.

How often does an HMO need an EICR? At least every 5 years, or sooner if the last report recommends it.

Is an HMO EICR different from a standard landlord EICR? The testing is the same. An HMO usually has more to cover, such as shared areas, landlord supplies and several boards, which is why whole buildings are quoted per building.

Is PAT testing included? No. PAT testing checks plug-in appliances such as kettles and heaters, and is a separate service. You can book it alongside your EICR: see our PAT testing guide.

Do I need to be there? No. A tenant, agent or key holder can let the electrician in.

What if the report is unsatisfactory? You get a quote for the agreed repair work. Complete the work within 28 days, or sooner if the report says so, then confirm it in writing to your tenants and the council.