Free 10-Minute Self-Check

Electrical Safety Checklist —
UK Homes & Rentals.

10-minute self-check. If anything fails, book an EICR before your next renewal.

Who this is for

Landlords, homeowners, anyone overdue an EICR.

This page is a free 10-minute walk-round you can do yourself before booking a professional inspection. It is for:

Landlords with an active tenancy — legal duty since 2020 to hold a current EICR every 5 years.
Homeowners pre-purchase — quick triage before instructing a survey or paying for an EICR.
Anyone with a property over 10 years since their last EICR — standards have moved on; your installation may not have.

What you’ll need

Five free minutes, a phone for photos of anything that looks wrong, and your meter cupboard key. That’s it.

Important: this checklist is a visual self-check, not a formal inspection. If anything below fails, do not attempt to fix it yourself — book an EICR with a 2391-qualified electrician.

A / Smoke Alarms (BS 5839-6)

Test every alarm.

Press the test button on every smoke and heat alarm in the property. The alarm should sound loudly and consistently.

Every alarm sounds when you press TEST.
No alarm is intermittently beeping (low battery on a 10-year sealed unit means the whole unit is end-of-life and must be replaced — you cannot replace the battery).
At least one mains-powered, interlinked smoke alarm per floor.

Standard: Scotland made interlinked alarms mandatory in February 2022 (Tolerable Standard). England and Wales: strongly recommended; mandatory in rental housing under the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2022.

B / RCD Test (do this every 6 months)

Press T on every RCD.

Find your consumer unit (the “fuse board” — usually under the stairs, in the meter cupboard, or in the garage). On each RCD or RCBO, press the small button marked T or TEST.

Every RCD trips immediately when tested.
You can reset each RCD by switching it back up.
No RCD requires more than one push to trip.

Failed? A non-tripping RCD means you have no shock protection on that circuit. Stop using it and call an electrician the same day.

C / Visible Fuse Board Check

Modern board, or upgrade?

Look at your consumer unit (do not open it). Ask yourself:

Modern (good): metal-cased enclosure, individual white RCBO switches, each with its own TEST button. Compliant with BS 7671 18th edition.
Old plastic body (pre-2018): all-plastic enclosure — needs upgrading to a metal board for fire-containment compliance.
Rewireable fuses (BS 3036): screw-in porcelain holders with fuse wire — upgrade urgent. No RCD protection means no shock protection.

Useful: see our consumer-unit upgrade page for fixed pricing on metal-cased boards (RCBO per circuit, full Part P certification).

D / Sockets & Switches

Walk the property. Look closely.

Every socket and switch in the property gets a quick visual check.

No cracks across the face-plate or surround.
No black scorch marks above or around any socket.
No socket feels warm or hot to the back of your hand (a working socket should be ambient temperature, even with a kettle plugged in).
No loose face-plates that move when you plug something in.
No socket has visible burning smell when in use.

Any scorch marks? Stop using that socket immediately. Scorching is evidence of arcing — the next stage is fire. Photograph it and call an electrician today.

E / Bathroom (BS 7671 Section 701)

Special-location rules apply.

Bathrooms have their own zoned wiring rules because water and electricity do not mix. Check the following:

No standard 13A sockets inside zone 1 or zone 2 (anywhere within 0.6m of bath or shower).
Light switches inside the bathroom are pull-cord type only. Wall switches must be mounted outside.
Shaver socket only acceptable if it has an isolating transformer (the unit will be marked).
Light fittings and extractor fans inside the zones are IP44 minimum (sealed against water spray).
If a heated mirror, towel rail, or underfloor heating is fitted — certificate should exist.

F / Outdoor & Garden

Outside circuits get tougher rules.

Every outdoor socket is RCD-protected (check the consumer unit or look for a TEST button on the socket itself).
Buried cables are SWA (steel-wire armoured) — never standard twin-and-earth.
External light fittings are IP44 or higher (IP65 recommended for fully exposed).
Hot tubs, swim-spas, and outdoor kitchens are on a dedicated circuit with Type A RCBO (mandatory under BS 7671 18th edition Amendment 2).
No extension leads buried, run through walls, or used outside in wet conditions.

G / EV Charger (if installed)

Type A RCBO with DC fault detection.

EV chargers fitted from 2020 onwards must use a Type A RCBO with DC fault detection (or equivalent inverter-side protection). DS Electrical fits Type A on every install.

Charger fitted by a certified installer (you should have an Electrical Installation Certificate).
Charger has its own dedicated circuit from the consumer unit.
RCBO is Type A, never Type AC (Type AC misses DC fault current and is non-compliant for EV).
Earthing arrangement was specified at install (PME-isolation device or earth rod).

Pre-2020 charger? May not be 18th edition compliant. Have it checked — we can certify or upgrade existing units.

H / EICR Due Date

When is your next inspection due?

Find your last EICR certificate. Look at the “recommended date for next inspection” field. Compare it with today.

Domestic owner-occupied: every 10 years, or at change of occupancy — whichever is sooner.
Rental property: every 5 years (landlord legal duty under the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector Regulations 2020). Must be supplied to every new tenant.
Commercial/industrial: typically every 5 years; some heavy-use sites (commercial kitchens, workshops) every 3 years.
No EICR on file? Book one. Default position is overdue.

EICR expired? For rentals this is a legal breach with civil penalties up to £30,000. Book the new inspection now.

Anything failed?

Book an EICR.

If you ticked any concern above, the next step is a full Electrical Installation Condition Report from a 2391-qualified electrician.

We’re NAPIT 66245 in Somerset. EICRs from £30 per circuit single-phase, £40 per circuit three-phase + VAT @ 20%. Free advice if you call before booking.

Call 07889 334849 WhatsApp Get a quote

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Free Advice
Before You Book.

Talk to Dan before booking the EICR. Five-minute call, honest answer, no pressure.

Direct Dan Stevens, Director: 07889 334849 Dan Street, Director: 07983 106928

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Electrical Safety Checklist —UK Homes & Rentals.