London Landlord 2026 EICR Checklist: What's Changed Since 2024

Latest EICR certificate, signed by a registered NICEIC or NAPIT contractor, dated within the last 5 years. Digital PDF with the inspector's registration number visible. Filed against the property address and any portfolio reference.

Minor works certificates (BS 7671 Form 2) for any remedial work carried out after the EICR. These close out C1, C2 and FI findings and are what the council asks for after the initial EICR.

Tenant notification proof: dated email or recorded delivery receipt showing the EICR and any remedial certificates were supplied. For new tenancies, supplied before occupation. For existing tenancies, within 28 days of EICR completion.

Local authority notification proof for HMO and selectively-licensed properties: a record of supply to the council within 28 days of any request and within 28 days of remedial completion. Email timestamp is sufficient if the email is sent to a named officer or to the borough's compliance inbox.

BS 7671:2018 Amendment 4 published April 2026 and applies to all new electrical work from October 2026. Existing installations are not retrospectively required to comply, but EICR coding will reflect the new standards from October.

For most landlords this is a fuse-board upgrade question at the next replacement cycle, not an immediate fail. Type AC RCDs on circuits clearly serving DC-component loads (induction kitchen, EV charger, dedicated server) will progressively move from C3 (improvement recommended) toward C2 (potentially dangerous) over 2026-2028.

Action item: at the next board change, specify Type A RCBOs as standard, SPD on the incoming, and AFDD on socket circuits if the property is HMO or higher-risk. Budget £750-£999 all-in versus the legacy £600 board.

Type A RCDs detect both AC and pulsating DC fault current. Modern appliances (induction hobs, EV chargers, certain LED drivers, washing-machine inverters) generate DC components when they fault, which Type AC RCDs cannot reliably detect.

Where Type A is now mandatory for new work: any circuit supplying a dedicated EV charger (BS 7671 Regulation 722.531.3), any circuit supplying induction cooking equipment in a kitchen designed around induction, any circuit serving fixed equipment with switched-mode PSUs above household scale.

Where Type A becomes a strong C3 (and progressively C2) on EICR: general socket circuits in kitchens with induction hobs, garage circuits with EV charger present, server cupboard circuits in mixed-use HMO conversions. The recommendation hardens each year as A4:2026 ages in.

For landlords planning a board change in 2026 onwards: specifying Type AC RCDs is short-sighted. The cost delta between Type AC and Type A is roughly £25 per RCBO; on a 10-way board that is £250 of future-proofing.

The 28-day remedial window itself has not changed; it remains the statutory deadline under the Electrical Safety Standards 2020. What has changed in 2024-26 is the enforcement environment: councils now treat the 28-day clock as a strict trigger rather than a guideline.

Newham, Hackney, Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest now systematically request remedial evidence at HMO licence renewal and selective licensing checks. An EICR marked "unsatisfactory" without an accompanying minor works certificate dated within 28 days is treated as a continuing breach.

The practical change for landlords: book the remedial before the EICR. Brief the inspecting contractor that any C2 finding should generate a same-day quote and remedial booking. The 7-day-typical remedial window then fits comfortably inside the 28-day statutory deadline.

For a new tenancy: the EICR (and any associated minor works certificates) must be supplied to the new tenant before occupation. The Deregulation Act 2015 read with the 2020 Regulations creates the Section 21 invalidation trap if this is missed.

For an existing tenancy: within 28 days of EICR completion. Email with PDF attachment to the tenant's registered email address is sufficient; keep the sent-folder copy and the read-receipt where available.

A reasonable tenant notification template covers: address of the property, date of the EICR, the inspector's registration number, the overall result (satisfactory/unsatisfactory), confirmation of any remedial action taken, and the date of next required inspection. Attach the EICR PDF and any minor works certificates.

For multi-tenant properties (shared houses, HMOs) each tenant individually must receive a copy. A single email to the joint household with all tenants in the To: field is accepted as supply.

Newham operates the largest selective licensing scheme in the UK on a 5-year cycle. Renewals require evidence of EICR within the last 5 years; the council cross-references the certificate against the NICEIC and NAPIT public registers automatically. Renewal applications without verified scheme membership are returned within 2 weeks.

Hackney runs a borough-wide additional licensing scheme on a 5-year cycle with a documented preference for in-person inspections. Renewal-time inspections typically include a visual check of the consumer unit, smoke alarm interconnection, and emergency lighting where present.

Tower Hamlets operates additional HMO licensing borough-wide plus selective in Whitechapel, Spitalfields and Bethnal Green wards. Renewal cycles are 5-year but evidence requests are issued more frequently — the council may request the current EICR mid-cycle in response to a tenant complaint.

Waltham Forest combines selective (designated wards) with additional HMO licensing borough-wide. Tight on Grade D LD2 smoke alarm interconnection — the alarm install certificate must explicitly state interconnection testing was performed and passed.

Croydon runs additional HMO licensing borough-wide with a heavy focus on fire safety. Renewal requires emergency lighting commissioning evidence and an annual FRA review document on top of the EICR.

Quarter 1: review the EICR expiry date across the portfolio. Any certificate expiring within the next 12 months — book the next test. EICR plus EPC plus CP12 bundled saves time and money.

Quarter 2: tenant notification audit. Has every active tenancy received the current EICR? Has every new tenancy started in the previous 6 months had documented pre-occupation supply? Email log review and gap-fill.

Quarter 3: HMO licence renewal calendar. Any renewals falling in the next 12 months — pull together the EICR, FRA, smoke alarm certificate, and emergency lighting commissioning evidence pack now. Renewal applications are smoother when the pack is pre-assembled.

Quarter 4: annual fuse-board condition review. Plastic consumer units installed before 2016, boards with no SPD or AFDD where A4:2026 will require them, boards with handwritten labels not updated since last test — book upgrades for the spring window.