Social Landlords: The 1 November 2026 EICR Deadline Explained

What changed for social landlords

The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) (Amendment) (Extension to the Social Rented Sector) Regulations 2025 brought social landlords under the same five-yearly EICR duty as private landlords. Social landlords must also check the electrical equipment they provide — cookers, fridges, washing machines — at least every five years.

Key dates

The timeline runs in stages:

• 1 November 2025 — the amended regulations came into force
• 1 December 2025 onwards — new social tenancies are covered from the start
• 1 May 2026 — the rules apply to social tenancies granted before 1 December 2025
• Before 1 November 2026 — the first installation inspection and equipment check must be completed for those existing tenancies

If you already have a satisfactory EICR

A satisfactory report that is less than five years old still counts — you do not need a fresh inspection until the next one is due. Make sure tenants have a copy and that any remedial work has been confirmed in writing.

Getting a portfolio inspected in time

For housing associations, councils and managing agents with many units, the bottleneck is access. We schedule portfolio inspections by postcode cluster, combine the EICR and equipment (PAT) checks in a single visit, and deliver reports in a consistent digital format for your compliance system. Call us or request a callback to plan a programme.