How Much Is the Fine for No EICR?

If you let a residential property in England without a valid Electrical Installation Condition Report, you face a civil penalty of up to £30,000 per breach under the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020. That figure is not theoretical — local authorities are actively issuing penalties, and the amounts are climbing.

Here is exactly what you are exposed to, how enforcement works, and what it costs to get compliant.

The penalty structure

The 2020 Regulations created two tiers of civil penalty:

Breach	Maximum penalty
First breach — failing to obtain an EICR or failing to carry out remedial work	Up to £30,000
Subsequent breach — continued non-compliance after a remedial notice	Up to £30,000 (per additional breach)

Each property counts as a separate breach. If you own three non-compliant properties, you could face up to £90,000 in combined penalties.

How the penalty amount is calculated

Local authorities follow the Civil Penalties under the Housing and Planning Act 2016 — Guidance for Local Housing Authorities framework. They weigh several factors:

Severity of the offence — Were there dangerous deficiencies (Code 1 or Code 2 on the EICR coding system)? A property with exposed wiring attracts a higher penalty than a missed renewal on an otherwise safe installation.
Culpability — Did you deliberately avoid the inspection, or did you genuinely not know? Ignorance is not a defence, but deliberate evasion pushes the penalty higher.
Landlord track record — Previous housing offences, previous warnings, or a pattern of neglect.
Financial circumstances — The penalty must be proportionate but must also remove any financial benefit from non-compliance. If you saved £200 by skipping an EICR, expect the penalty to far exceed that saving.
Deterrent effect — The penalty should discourage both you and other landlords from the same behaviour.

In practice, first-time penalties for a single property with no dangerous deficiencies typically range from £1,000 to £10,000. Properties with serious electrical faults or landlords with a history of non-compliance see penalties at the upper end.

Rent Repayment Orders — the second financial hit

A civil penalty is not your only exposure. Under Section 40 of the Housing and Planning Act 2016, tenants can apply to the First-tier Tribunal for a Rent Repayment Order (RRO) if you have committed a relevant housing offence.

An RRO can require you to repay up to 12 months of rent to your tenant (or to the local authority if the tenant received Universal Credit housing costs).

The Tribunal considers similar factors — severity, landlord conduct, financial circumstances — but the outcome is separate from and additional to any civil penalty. You can be hit with both.

What happens when a local authority discovers no EICR

The enforcement process follows a predictable sequence:

Discovery — The local authority finds out you have no valid EICR. This happens through tenant complaints, routine inspections, licensing checks (especially for HMOs), or cross-referencing data from the upcoming Private Rented Sector Database.
Remedial notice — The authority issues a notice requiring you to obtain an EICR (and complete any remedial work identified) within 28 days.
Urgent remedial action — If there is an imminent risk of serious harm, the authority can arrange remedial work itself and recover the cost from you.
Penalty process — If you fail to comply with the remedial notice (or if the authority decides to penalise the original breach), they issue a Notice of Intent specifying the proposed penalty amount. You have 28 days to make written representations.
Final notice — After considering your representations, the authority issues a Final Notice confirming the penalty. You then have 28 days to pay or appeal to the First-tier Tribunal.

At every stage, the clock is working against you. The longer you delay, the worse your position.

Real enforcement context

Local authorities have been ramping up electrical safety enforcement since the Regulations came into full effect in April 2021. Borough councils in London, Manchester, and Birmingham have issued penalties in the thousands for first-time EICR failures. Repeat offenders and landlords with unsafe installations have seen penalties approaching the £30,000 ceiling.

The introduction of the Private Rented Sector Database under the Renters' Rights Act 2025 will make it even easier for authorities to identify non-compliant landlords, because you will need to demonstrate compliance as part of registration.

How to get compliant — cost and timeline

Getting an EICR is straightforward and relatively cheap compared to the penalties:

Item	Typical cost
EICR inspection (1-3 bed property)	£120–£250
EICR inspection (4+ bed or HMO)	£200–£350
Remedial work (if deficiencies found)	Varies — minor fixes from £50, rewiring from £2,000+

The inspection must be carried out by a qualified and competent person — a registered electrician who is a member of an approved scheme (such as NICEIC, NAPIT, or ELECSA).

Steps to get compliant now

Book a qualified electrician — Check they are registered with an approved competent person scheme. Ask for their registration number.
Get the EICR completed — The report covers the fixed electrical installation (wiring, sockets, consumer unit, earthing). It does not cover portable appliances.
Act on the results — If the EICR identifies Code 1 (danger present) or Code 2 (potentially dangerous) deficiencies, you must complete remedial work within 28 days or the period specified in the report, whichever is shorter. Then get a re-inspection.
Provide a copy to your tenants — Within 28 days of the inspection.
Provide a copy to the local authority — Within 7 days if they request it.
Store the report safely — You need to keep it for the full 5-year validity period. If you are managing multiple properties, consider how you will track 5-year renewal cycles across your portfolio.

For a full breakdown of EICR requirements, read our EICR landlord legal requirement guide.

Check your exposure

Use the Landlord Fine Calculator to estimate the penalty you face for specific compliance gaps across your portfolio.

How DueProper will help

DueProper tracks your EICR expiry dates across every property, sends reminders before renewal is due, and stores your reports as evidence in one place. No more manually tracking 5-year cycles in a spreadsheet.

Coming soon — join the waitlist for early access.

Free tools

Landlord Fine Calculator — estimate your penalty exposure
Compliance Deadline Calculator — check when your EICR expires

This article is for information only and does not constitute legal advice. Penalty amounts depend on individual circumstances and local authority discretion. Always verify your obligations with current legislation at legislation.gov.uk.