I carried out an EICR today for a landlord I've recently started working with, on a rental property in Bevendean, Brighton. It's always worth doing one of these when you take on a new property or a new electrician, and today's inspection is a good example of why.
The property itself looked fine on the surface. Nothing obviously wrong, nothing that would raise alarm bells if you walked in as a tenant. But that's exactly the point of an EICR — it's not about what you can see. It's about what's going on behind the sockets, inside the fittings, and at the consumer unit.
Here's what we found.
The Consumer Unit Was Outdated
The fuse board in this property was old. Not dangerous in itself, but not up to the standard you'd want in a rental property in 2024 — and not compliant with what modern wiring regulations require.
Older consumer units often lack the RCD protection that's now considered essential for any domestic installation. An RCD — Residual Current Device — is the device that cuts the power almost instantaneously if it detects a fault. We're talking milliseconds. It's the thing that can genuinely save someone's life if a cable gets damaged, a socket develops a fault, or an appliance goes wrong.
This consumer unit will need upgrading. It's not optional — it's part of the remedial works that need to be completed before this property can be signed off as electrically safe. A new consumer unit with full RCD protection will be going in as part of the follow-up works.
C2 Findings — Cracked Sockets
During the inspection we found cracked sockets in the property. These were coded as C2 — which means potentially dangerous and requiring remedial action.
A cracked socket might not seem like a big deal. It still works, the tenant might not have even noticed. But a crack in the casing means the internal components are exposed. Touch the wrong part and there's a real risk of electric shock. In a rental property, that's not a risk any landlord should be taking.
Under BS 7671 — the IET Wiring Regulations that govern all electrical installations in the UK — exposed live parts are a serious concern. A C2 means it needs sorting. It won't go away on its own, and it won't pass a re-inspection until it's addressed.
The cracked sockets will be replaced as part of the remedial works.
C2 Findings — Damaged Back Boxes
We also found damaged back boxes at a number of points around the property. Again, these came in as C2s.
This one's worth explaining because it trips people up. A back box is the metal or plastic box that sits inside the wall behind your socket or switch. When it's cracked or damaged, it creates gaps — gaps that fingers, particularly children's fingers, can get into. The requirement for a back box is partly about mechanical protection and partly about IP rating, which refers to protection against contact with live parts.
When a back box is damaged to the point where there are accessible gaps, it no longer provides that protection. That's a C2 under the regulations, and it needs to be fixed. In a family rental property especially, this isn't something to leave.
These will all be made good during the remedial visit.
No RCD Protection on the Outside Lights
This one is particularly important. The external lighting circuit at this property had no RCD protection whatsoever.
Under current wiring regulations, any circuit supplying outdoor equipment must be protected by a 30mA RCD. Outdoor circuits are exposed to moisture, to physical damage, to conditions that indoor circuits simply aren't. The RCD is what protects whoever is using that circuit — whether that's changing a bulb, plugging something into an outdoor socket, or just being near the fitting when a fault develops.
No RCD protection on an external circuit is a serious omission and was coded accordingly. This will be addressed when the new consumer unit goes in — all circuits will have the correct RCD protection, including the outside lights.
What Happens Now
This is the process for any landlord I work with: the EICR tells us what's there, what the condition is, and what needs doing. The report is honest and thorough. Then we go back and do the remedial works to bring everything up to standard.
For this property in Bevendean, that means:
- A new consumer unit with full RCD protection across all circuits
- Replacement of all cracked sockets
- Replacement of all damaged back boxes
- Correct RCD protection applied to the external lighting circuit
Once the remedial works are complete, the property will be re-inspected and a satisfactory EICR issued. That's the document the landlord needs — it's a legal requirement for any privately rented property in England, and it needs to be renewed every five years.
A Note for Landlords in Brighton and Hove
If you've recently taken on a property, or you're not sure when your last EICR was carried out, get in touch. A lot of landlords I speak to aren't sure whether their certificate is still valid, or they've inherited a property with paperwork that doesn't add up.
An EICR isn't just a box-ticking exercise. It tells you exactly what you've got, what needs doing, and gives you a defensible record that your property is electrically safe for your tenants. If something goes wrong and you don't have a valid EICR in place, as a landlord you are in a very difficult position legally.
I cover Brighton, Hove, and the surrounding areas. I work with landlords on a regular basis — from single properties to larger portfolios — and I'll always give you a straight, honest report with no unnecessary additions.
📞 01273 933550 or get in touch via the contact form at ang-electrical.co.uk
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