HMO
Electrical
Compliance
EICR inspections for Houses in Multiple Occupation across Bath and Somerset. Mandatory every 5 years under HMO licensing conditions. Priced per circuit — no flat-fee guesswork. Portfolio rates available.
07889 334849
HMO Electrical Rules
Are Stricter Than Standard Lets
A standard buy-to-let needs an EICR every 5 years. An HMO has the same 5-year cycle but enforced as a mandatory licensing condition — meaning your council can revoke your licence for non-compliance, not just issue a fine.
Licensing of HMOs (Mandatory Conditions) Regulations 2018
Every licensed HMO in England must have a valid EICR issued within the previous 5 years. The report must be carried out by a qualified, competent person — NAPIT or NICEIC registration is the accepted standard. Bath and North East Somerset Council enforces this as a condition of every HMO licence. Failure means licence suspension or revocation, not just a fine.
Up to £30,000 per breach
Under the Housing Act 2004 and the Electrical Safety Standards (Private Rented Sector) Regulations 2020, local authorities can impose civil penalties up to £30,000 per breach. For HMOs this compounds with licensing enforcement. B&NES has issued improvement notices and fines to landlords who cannot produce current electrical certificates. An expired EICR also voids most landlord insurance policies.
Must be NAPIT or NICEIC issued
Not all electrical inspectors can issue a legally valid EICR. The certificate must come from a scheme-registered contractor (NAPIT, NICEIC, or equivalent). DS Electrical is NAPIT Approved — NAPIT 66245. Our certificates are lodged with NAPIT and carry a certificate number that your council can verify directly. A report from an unregistered inspector is not compliant.
Higher risk, stricter standards
HMOs have more occupants, more appliances, more circuits under continuous load, and a higher risk of overloading. BS 7671 guidance for HMOs specifically requires RCD protection on all circuits, adequate circuit discrimination, and careful assessment of shared kitchen and bathroom circuits. Our inspectors are trained to the specific requirements of HMO electrical installations, not just domestic wiring.
~1,200 licensed HMOs in B&NES
Bath and North East Somerset has one of the highest concentrations of licensed HMOs in the South West, driven by the university and the rental market. B&NES enforces mandatory licensing and additional licensing conditions actively. The council publishes a public HMO register and cross-references licence renewal dates with electrical certificate expiry. Do not let your certificate lapse.
Full cycle — inspection to certification
- Full BS 7671 EICR with HMO-specific assessment
- Certificate issued within 48 hours of inspection
- All C1 defects made safe on the day
- Remedial works quoted alongside the report
- Re-inspection and updated cert after remedials
- Single point of contact throughout
Per Circuit, Not Per Property
Every HMO is different. A 4-bedroom house with shared kitchen circuits, en-suites, and communal lighting has more circuits than a 3-bed standard let. Pricing per circuit is fair to both sides — you pay for what the installation actually requires.
- Standard HMO bedrooms & communal circuits
- Typical 4-bed HMO: 15–20 circuits
- Typical cost: £450–£600 + VAT
- Certificate within 48 hours
- 3+ properties: reduced per-circuit rate
- Coordinated scheduling to minimise tenant disruption
- Single invoice for whole portfolio
- Priority availability for licence renewals
- One point of contact for all certificates
- 3-phase HMOs, student blocks, larger premises
- Includes 3-phase distribution board assessment
- Certificate within 48 hours
- Remedials quoted same day
Send us the address and we will count the circuits and return a firm quote the same day. No guesswork, no surprises on invoice.
A Proper Inspection,
Not a Tick-Box
HMO licensing bodies accept only EICR reports that meet BS 7671 requirements in full. Here is what every DS Electrical HMO inspection includes.
01 Dead Testing
With supply isolated, we test insulation resistance at 500V DC on every circuit, continuity of all protective conductors (R1+R2), and ring-final circuit continuity. Every reading is recorded against the schedule — no circuit is skipped. For HMOs with en-suite bathroom circuits, kitchen circuits, and separate communal lighting, this is a substantial dead-testing programme.
02 Live Testing
With supply restored, we measure earth fault loop impedance (Zs) at every circuit end-point and confirm disconnection times comply with BS 7671 Chapter 41. All RCDs and RCBOs are tested at 1× and 5× rated current. Polarity, bonding, and earthing are verified throughout. PSCC is measured at the origin.
03 HMO-Specific Checks
- RCD protection on all circuits (required for HMOs)
- Adequate diversity and cable sizing for multi-occupancy load
- Supplementary bonding in all bathrooms and en-suites
- Shared kitchen circuit assessment — ring mains, cooker, appliance points
- Emergency lighting provisions where present
- Smoke and heat alarm wiring where interlinked
- Meter tails, main switch, and earth arrangements
04 The Report
You receive the full EICR documentation: schedule of circuit details with every test reading, schedule of inspections, and a dated, signed certificate issued under NAPIT registration 66245. The report classifies every observation as C1 (danger), C2 (potentially dangerous), C3 (improvement recommended), or FI (further investigation). The outcome is clearly stated: Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory. Valid for B&NES HMO licence renewal and for insurance purposes.
05 If the Property Fails
- C1 defects made safe on the day wherever possible
- Written remedial quotation issued alongside the report
- Remedial works completed by DS Electrical — no need to find a second contractor
- Re-inspection of affected circuits after remedials, free of charge
- Updated EICR issued confirming Satisfactory outcome
- Turnaround within 28 days (the legal deadline for C2 remedials)
06 For Property Managers
If you manage a portfolio on behalf of landlords, we can coordinate directly with tenants to arrange access, provide the completed reports to you in PDF format for filing, and invoice you on a single account. We work regularly with residential property management companies across Bath and Somerset. Call 07889 334849 to discuss a standing arrangement for your portfolio.
Ready When You Are
Send us the address and we will count the circuits, come back with a firm quote the same day, and get the inspection booked. Portfolio discounts for 3 or more properties.
07889 334849