Ryan, RM Electrical NAPIT registered electrician, South Wales
Since 1 December 2022, every landlord in Wales has had a legal duty to keep a valid electrical condition report for the homes they let. It is part of making a home fit for human habitation under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016.
The rules are in the Renting Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) (Wales) Regulations 2022, regulation 6. In plain English, they come down to four things.
1. A valid report at all times
The landlord must make sure there is a valid electrical condition report for the home during every period of occupation. The inspection has to be done by a qualified person, to the current wiring regulations, BS 7671.
2. Five years, or sooner
A report is valid for five years from the day of the inspection. If the report says the next inspection should be sooner, it is only valid until that earlier date.
3. The tenant gets a copy within 14 days
The contract-holder, meaning the tenant, must be given a copy of the most recent report within 14 days of the day they move in. If an inspection is done while they are living there, they get a copy within 14 days of it being completed.
If any work was done to put something right after the inspection, they also get written confirmation of that work from the electrician, again within 14 days.
4. Miss it, and the home counts as unfit
If the landlord is not complying, the home is treated as unfit for human habitation. Welsh Government guidance says occupation contracts will usually contain a term stating that the contract-holder is not required to pay rent for any day, or part day, the home is unfit. That is a strong reason not to let a report lapse.
A landlord who is behind is treated as back in compliance from the point they obtain a valid report and give the tenant a copy.
Wales is not England
Guidance online is often written for England, where the rules come from different regulations. In Wales, follow the Renting Homes rules above. The five-year interval is the same, but the wording, the 14-day copy rule and the consequences are set out in the Welsh regulations.
What happens on the day
The electrician inspects and tests every circuit, which means the power is off in parts of the home for a few hours. Tenants need to be told in advance and access arranged.
If anything is coded C1, C2 or FI, the report is unsatisfactory and those items need putting right. See what the EICR codes mean.
Checked against legislation.gov.uk and gov.wales on 22 September 2026. This is a plain-English summary, not legal advice.
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