Landlord certificate EICR what should this cost?

[mickk]

Groat said:

mickk said:

How the heck is that even possible for £50?

Dunno but I'll pm you his phone number if you want to ask him.

Nah he sounds like a cowboy, I'll avoid thanks

[33q]

We had our 3 done about 6 years ago. I’ve asked my electrician to do them again and I am giving him the paper copies to save a bit of time and effort. Like many most electricians he’s busy.

I’ve set aside £900.

[Groat]

mickk said:

Groat said:

mickk said:

How the heck is that even possible for £50?

Dunno but I'll pm you his phone number if you want to ask him.

Nah he sounds like a cowboy, I'll avoid thanks

You'll never get the answer to your question then

(by the way, East Ayrshire Council's electricians are currently on £23200 pa. Don't think they specify 'cowboys only'. )

https://uk.indeed.com/cmp/East-Ayrshire-Council/sa...

Edited by Groat on Monday 1st February 20:53

[98elise]

Groat said:

mickk said:

Groat said:

mickk said:

How the heck is that even possible for £50?

Dunno but I'll pm you his phone number if you want to ask him.

Nah he sounds like a cowboy, I'll avoid thanks

You'll never get the answer to your question then

(by the way, East Ayrshire Council's electricians are currently on £23200 pa. Don't think they specify 'cowboys only'. )

https://uk.indeed.com/cmp/East-Ayrshire-Council/sa...

Edited by Groat on Monday 1st February 20:53

I can see someone doing it for £50 if they can get 3-4 done a day and have a large amount to do. £200 per day would be about 50k a year.

[mickk]

98elise said:

I can see someone doing it for £50 if they can get 3-4 done a day and have a large amount to do. £200 per day would be about 50k a year.

You really think someone could do 4 a day properly?

[Casa1862]

Does anyone think there will be an extension from 1st April due to Covid?

Everyone working from home, kids doing online learning, some shielding, last thing you want is an electrician poking around for half a day. I know some will say its an excuse but not sure I'd want to do it as a tenant or electrician.. April 22 would be good.

One tenant has refused to have it done on the basis his wife is shielding and registered disabled, he's ok with formally writing and said he'll accept responsibility, I made the effort, not sure how much I can force him and I do understand his position.... being a house owner it's ok for me to live in a death trap, not that mine is!!

[ruggedscotty]

Alucidnation said:

Maximum 0.75 pence.

Don't forget to add the vat.

you offering ? thats a good rate.... discount for several properties ?

[98elise]

mickk said:

98elise said:

I can see someone doing it for £50 if they can get 3-4 done a day and have a large amount to do. £200 per day would be about 50k a year.

You really think someone could do 4 a day properly?

No idea as I've not done one myself. My electrician was able to do the test change the CU and fix the odd broken socket in half a day (so did 2 a day for us).

On that basis 3 should be doable, 4 possibly if they have an early start and it was small properties (Groat has many flats IIRC)

[mickk]

I'll give you 2 a day at a push, but 4 is stretching it even in flats , all below plus certification.

The qualified engineer will be assessing the overall build quality, performance and safety of an electrical installation. They will be looking out especially for any deterioration or defects.

The first stage of the test is usually a visual assessment. Equipment will be inspected to see if anything is clearly in need of repair or replacement. There might be breaks or cracks in appliances. There also may be obvious signs of overheating in which case the equipment will need replacing. In older properties, the distribution board may be fuse cartridge which would now be changed for an MCB board. This electrical upgrade offers far greater protection with RCD and Earth leakage monitors that trip when a fault occurs.

Next, the qualified electrician will have to disconnect the electrical installation from the mains power supply. Certain circuits will undergo dead testing in order to identify any wires which are inadequately connected.

There will also be live testing. These include a precautionary test to check that if there does happen to be a fault in the system, it will disconnect within the time limit. This test in particular highlights one of the most important reasons for EICR tests. It checks if components are in the right condition to work as intended in the future.

The qualified electrician will also check whether the quality of the earthing and bonding is sufficient and whether the earth protection is sufficient. There will also be a further examination of the following equipment: switches, sockets, power outlets, light fittings and any sockets which are installed in the property.

[Sir Bagalot]

Groat said:

Just texted my guy. £50 for EICR and £25 for PAT. (in fairness, the agency gives him industrial quantities of them to do so he's maybe dearer for one-offs).)

£50 is simply too cheap.

[Sir Bagalot]

Casa1862 said:

Does anyone think there will be an extension from 1st April due to Covid?

Everyone working from home, kids doing online learning, some shielding, last thing you want is an electrician poking around for half a day. I know some will say its an excuse but not sure I'd want to do it as a tenant or electrician.. April 22 would be good.

One tenant has refused to have it done on the basis his wife is shielding and registered disabled, he's ok with formally writing and said he'll accept responsibility, I made the effort, not sure how much I can force him and I do understand his position.... being a house owner it's ok for me to live in a death trap, not that mine is!!

A letter from him denying access is excellent. Not much you can do.

Took me 6 months to get a CP12 done, I was just about to give up when tenant agreed.

[Willhire89]

I have had several done already and they are all around £150. One was done by someone an agent recommended and it was a massive fishing trip and was unhappy when I wrote that off and had it retested by someone else. He claimed there was no earth bonding etc etc all of which was in place.

Next Monday I have a one bed flat being done in another area and I found a guy locally - I have had to wait seven weeks and he wants £145 and said he would be there between 9 and 9.30. What I failed to understand at first was that was not his window of arrival but how long he intends to be there - not sure how this one will work out

[xstian]

Groat said:

You'll never get the answer to your question then

(by the way, East Ayrshire Council's electricians are currently on £23200 pa. Don't think they specify 'cowboys only'. )

https://uk.indeed.com/cmp/East-Ayrshire-Council/sa...

Edited by Groat on Monday 1st February 20:53

Are the wages that much lower in Scotland? Housing association around my way have been advertising at nearer £30k for 18 months and can't get anyone, because apparently it about £5k less than the going rate.

£50 for a EICR, I would imagine alot of the test will be done from the comfort of his van. 2 property's per day is about right, you might get away with more if they are small flats in the same block. I've been testing a lot of property's that are under 10 years old recently and they are pretty easy as well. A largish property with an old install is likely to take all day.

[superlightr]

xstian said:

Are the wages that much lower in Scotland? Housing association around my way have been advertising at nearer £30k for 18 months and can't get anyone, because apparently it about £5k less than the going rate.

£50 for a EICR, I would imagine alot of the test will be done from the comfort of his van. 2 property's per day is about right, you might get away with more if they are small flats in the same block. I've been testing a lot of property's that are under 10 years old recently and they are pretty easy as well. A largish property with an old install is likely to take all day.

The electrician would be nuts to do it for £50 it cant be viable. Think of the liability he is taking on by doing a rushed job.

As a letting agency we have had all of the property have EICR for the last 9 years or more.

Whats missed is that although it wasn't a specific law to have an "EICR" carried out untill recently it has been a legal requirement to ensure the property is safe to use by tenants.

Ive dug out one of our old letters that we used before the specific EICR regs came in which highlighted this to our landlords. It amazes me that landlords have not had these tests carried out before now.

"The following statutory regulations and Common Law give all landlords an obligation to ensure that all electrical equipment is 'safe to use':

- Common Law ‘duty of care’.
- s. 11 Landlord and Tenant Act 1985
- S. 4 Defective Premises Act 1972
- Housing Health and Safety Rating System under the Housing Act 2004
- Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018
- Complaint under part 1 Housing Act 2004 (Housing Health and Safety Rating System) inspection by Local Authority given that Electrical Hazards is one of the 29 Hazard profiles under the Act.
- The General Product Safety Regulations 1994 - requires the testing of all fixed electrical wiring within the property (i.e. not connected to domestic electrical equipment) and the boilers for the supply of electrically heated heating systems, electric showers and other built in appliances (e.g. Electrical cooker permanently plugged into wall.)
- Consumer Protection Act 1987:
- The Electrical equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994
- Plugs and Sockets etc. (safety) Regulations 1994
The Consumer Protection Act 1987 states that if you let property you must ensure that the electrical system and all appliances supplied are 'safe to use'.

Failure to comply with The Consumer Protection Act 1987 may result in:
A fine of £5000 per item not complying, 6 months’ imprisonment, possible manslaughter charges if someone dies, the tenant could sue you for Civil damages and your property insurance may be invalidated.
This regulation is enforced by the Health and Safety Executive."

[anonymous-user]

xstian said:

Are the wages that much lower in Scotland? Housing association around my way have been advertising at nearer £30k for 18 months and can't get anyone, because apparently it about £5k less than the going rate.

£50 for a EICR, I would imagine alot of the test will be done from the comfort of his van. 2 property's per day is about right, you might get away with more if they are small flats in the same block. I've been testing a lot of property's that are under 10 years old recently and they are pretty easy as well. A largish property with an old install is likely to take all day.

I recently paid £300 inc. VAT for an EICR in Glasgow. 1 Bed rental flat, included PAT test and supply/fit new alarms. The owner of my letting agency is a good friend, so that's cost price from a reputable independent spark that does them day in, day out, all year for that firm.

There are Electricians out there who work for less, for landlords that don't want reports that require any remedial work, often using cheapo ebay alarms that I wouldn't want in my flats.

Edited by anonymous-user on Wednesday 3rd February 15:35

[Groat]

xstian said:

Are the wages that much lower in Scotland? Housing association around my way have been advertising at nearer £30k for 18 months and can't get anyone, because apparently it about £5k less than the going rate.

£50 for a EICR, I would imagine alot of the test will be done from the comfort of his van. 2 property's per day is about right, you might get away with more if they are small flats in the same block. I've been testing a lot of property's that are under 10 years old recently and they are pretty easy as well. A largish property with an old install is likely to take all day.

Yes wages probably do vary from area to area. But the variation isn't so much to do with location as it is to do with individuals and their needs.

There are people who seem quite content to live on UC or JSA who probably get about £80 a week.

But there's an absolute multitude who are happy with £100 a day. I discovered this when I had a taxi business with 300+ drivers. Made their 'senny' (century) or 'ton' and off they'd go. Log off till tomorrow. And in all fairness, it is perfectly possible to live a decent existence here on £100 a day, especially if circumstances dictate that time or lifestyle is as or more important than money.

Others have different ideas. Drivers who virtually lived in their cars and tradesmen who do long (12 hr) shifts 7 days a week.

But talk of 'how many EICRs can you do in a day' is meaningless. Too many variables, especially the ones you've suggested, ie size and age of dwelling.

My guy is actually the property manager's guy albeit it was me who hired him when I owned the agency. The agency has up to 1000 dwellings these days of which 95% will be studio, 1 bed and 2 bed apartments. Whilst it was once the opposite, these days most letting is unfurnished and the vast majority only have a washing machine and fridge as 'portable appliances'.

He'd never really thought about it in these terms, but reckons a modernish unfurnished studio flat could definitely take no more than an hour, and a 1/2 bed probably double that, if there was such a thing as a standardised time which there isn't.

Here's a commentary from 2017 on the subject from an old hand:

"If one tested a house to the level taught when doing the C&G 2391 it would take all day. However we expect electricians to use their experience and common sense. The extreme is fast to test, be it a new build where you open a few sockets are everything is clearly OK and all tests show OK you know it does not really require every socket removing it is clearly A1, also with a house with old rubber cable then it does not take long to condemn the lot.

The latter is a problem, if the tester for example tests a ring final on one socket and finds the ring has been broken, that circuit is condemned, he does not test any further, there is no point, if he finds no earth on the lights, again one light which is not class II and whole circuit is condemned, with lesser faults he has to continue and list them, but once he finds something which is unsatisfactory on a circuit then really no point in going any further. With the exam we had to list all faults, but that is not the case in real life, once a circuit is found unsatisfactory, we stop. Who ever corrects the fault will re-test and give a certificate for that circuit".

Of course, this variety begs the question of how firms can offer a fixed price for the work ?

Edited by Groat on Wednesday 3rd February 16:11

[romeogolf]

£150 (inc VAT) in Bournemouth for a 1-bed flat.