Do You Need an EICR to Sell or Buy a House in England?

There is no general legal requirement to obtain an EICR simply to sell or buy an owner-occupied house in England, but it can inform the transaction and may be requested by the buyer or lender. Separate landlord duties apply where the property is rented.

“Electrical certificate” can mean a condition report, certification for completed work or Building Regulations evidence. GOV.UK’s buying and selling guidance supports gathering records and investigating concerns; your conveyancer should clarify transaction-specific conditions. EICR Certificates London provides inspections across Greater London, while the legal distinctions here concern England.

EICR Decisions at a Glance: Selling, Buying or Letting

Your next step depends on whether you are selling, checking a purchase or taking on landlord responsibilities.

Situation	What creates the need	Next action
Owner-occupier selling without a specific request	Voluntary due diligence; selling alone does not create an EICR duty.	Assemble existing records and consider inspection if the condition is unclear.
Buyer uncertain about the electrics	A gap in evidence or a concern raised by the survey.	Consider specialist inspection with the seller’s permission before committing.
Buyer or lender requests a report	A transaction condition, rather than a general statutory requirement.	Clarify the written request, required scope and acceptable evidence through the conveyancer.
An unsatisfactory report already exists	Identified safety defects and possible implications for negotiations.	Address danger, understand the observations and obtain a defined investigation or repair scope.
Property remains rented or is intended for letting	Applicable landlord duties, including the 2025 extension to social renting.	Check tenancy coverage, existing reports and outstanding work separately from the sale.

When Is a Pre-Sale EICR Worth Arranging?

A pre-sale EICR is worth considering when electrical condition is uncertain or a buyer has asked for evidence about it. Electrical Safety First recommends periodic inspection around a sale or purchase; this is a recommendation, not a universal sale requirement.

Review any existing report’s scope, limitations and observation schedule first. Commissioning early can provide information for repair discussions, although checking present condition does not recover missing historical paperwork. Consider inspection where:

• The inspection history is unknown or the available report is incomplete.
• Electrical concerns remain unresolved.
• Alterations have been made without clear supporting records.
• A specific electrical enquiry has arisen during conveyancing.

If testing would answer those concerns, arrange a pre-sale EICR in London.

Which Electrical Documents Should a Seller Gather?

Gather existing condition reports, certificates for electrical work and relevant Building Regulations records, because they answer different questions.

Document	What it establishes
Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR)	The condition of the inspected installation on the inspection date, within its stated extent and limitations, supported by observations and test results.
Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC)	Certification of specified new installation work, such as a rewire, replacement consumer unit or new circuit, covering design, construction, inspection and testing.
Minor Electrical Installation Works Certificate	Certification of eligible additions or alterations to an existing circuit; it does not certify the condition of every circuit in the property.
Building Regulations compliance or completion record	Evidence concerning notification and compliance for relevant work, through a competent person scheme or building control; not every minor alteration requires notification.

The IET model forms and GOV.UK Approved Document P explain these separate roles: see how EICRs, EICs and Minor Works certificates differ, remembering that a condition assessment neither retrospectively issues an EIC nor automatically regularises unnotified work.

Give your conveyancer complete documents, including applicable schedules and previous written remedial confirmations; gas records concern a separate system and fall outside this electrical guidance.

Should a Buyer Arrange an EICR Before Exchange?

Consider an EICR before exchange when existing records or survey findings leave the electrical condition uncertain.

1. Request records. Obtain available condition reports, certificates for alterations and evidence of completed remedials from the seller.
2. Assess the gap. Ask a competent inspector whether those documents answer the concern, taking account of their date, scope and findings.
3. Agree access. Obtain the seller’s agreement to the visit and testing, then arrange an inspection that addresses the outstanding questions.
4. Review before exchange. Discuss findings and any repair quotation with your conveyancer before making the purchase commitment. Check any lender-specific requirement directly.

Coordinate keys, occupier access and power interruptions. GOV.UK’s home-buying guidance supports specialist assessments where concerns arise. Testing after completion can still identify necessary work, but it cannot inform the original decision to exchange contracts.

Does a Home Survey Include Electrical Testing?

A standard home survey does not include the electrical inspection and testing needed to produce an EICR.

Home survey	EICR
Comments on accessible electrical features and visible concerns within the survey’s terms.	Assesses the fixed electrical installation through an agreed programme of inspection and testing.
Observing fittings or operating lights cannot establish wiring condition through electrical measurements.	Includes relevant tests, such as insulation resistance and RCD operation, with findings recorded.
May recommend further specialist assessment; RICS Level Three scope excludes testing service installations.	Provides coded observations and schedules, subject to recorded restrictions; concealed defects are not all exposed.

Check your commissioned survey’s terms and whether any specialist electrical service has been arranged separately.

Who Pays for an EICR During a House Sale?

For a voluntary sale-related EICR, the buyer and seller should agree who commissions and pays for it before booking.

Arrangement	What to agree
Seller commissions a pre-sale report	The seller orders and funds the inspection, with arrangements for sharing it.
Buyer commissions an inspection	The buyer orders and pays, with access and testing permitted by the seller.
Parties negotiate a contribution	Record the agreed split and who is responsible for paying the inspector.

Confirm four points in writing:

• Who orders the report.
• Who receives the complete report and schedules.
• The inspection scope, limitations and access arrangements.
• The agreed price and payment responsibility.

These are practical options, not a statutory payer rule. Funding repairs is a separate negotiation; paying for inspection creates no automatic reimbursement or purchase-price adjustment. Landlord obligations remain distinct.

Can You Sell a House With an Unsatisfactory EICR?

An unsatisfactory EICR does not itself impose a general ban on selling a house, but its findings need safety action and may affect the transaction.

1. Read the observations. C1 means danger present; C2 means potentially dangerous. Either makes the assessment unsatisfactory. C3 alone does not. FI identifies a need for further investigation.
2. Clarify safety action. Ask the inspector what must be made safe and how urgently outstanding investigation or repairs need attention.
3. Define the work. Obtain an itemised scope and quotation, including testing and the documents that will record completion.
4. Discuss the conveyancing decision. Agree any proposed work or price change through your conveyancer, checking the buyer’s and lender’s conditions.

For the practical follow-up, read what to do after an unsatisfactory EICR. Retain the original assessment alongside relevant completion evidence; repairs do not erase its history.

Does Old Wiring Mean the House Needs a Full Rewire?

Old wiring does not automatically mean a full rewire; the installation’s condition and test findings determine the work needed. Ask which circuits are affected, what deterioration was found and why the proposed work is justified. Evidence might include degraded rubber insulation or insulation resistance findings. A new consumer unit alone does not establish the condition of retained cables.

• Local repairs: address identified defects where the remaining installation is serviceable.
• Partial rewiring: replace affected circuits while retaining suitable wiring elsewhere.
• Full rewiring: replace the installation where the evidence supports that scope.

Read how to assess whether old wiring needs rewiring and obtain a defined quotation before budgeting. The IET explains that older installations are not automatically unsafe; assessment against BS 7671:2018+A4:2026 requires judgement about actual condition.

Arrange an EICR for a London Sale or Purchase

To arrange an EICR for a London sale or purchase, call EICR Certificates London with the property details and access arrangements. Your EICR is carried out by a NICEIC-registered engineer. A fixed price for your EICR, confirmed before we attend. Your report emailed as a PDF. Open 8am to 10pm, seven days a week.

Have the postcode, bedroom count, buyer or seller status, existing report and transaction deadline ready. Inspection pricing covers testing and reporting; repairs are quoted separately.

Arrange a London EICR

Call 020 3677 6372 Contact us

You can also contact EICR Certificates London about your inspection.

Questions Buyers and Sellers Ask About Electrical Checks

The questions below cover rental duties, inspection scope, missing documents and the practical consequences of findings.