Last updated 7 October 2026
Short answer: in Scotland, your landlord must have the electrics in your home inspected and tested before it is first let and then at least every five years. That means an EICR on the fixed wiring and PAT testing of any appliances the landlord supplies, carried out by a competent electrician. Anything coded C1 or C2 must be put right, there must be at least one 30 mA RCD in the main consumer unit, and you should be given a copy of the latest EICR before your tenancy starts.
This guide is written for tenants who want to know what their landlord should be doing, and for landlords who want to check they are covered. The rules come from the Scottish Government’s Repairing Standard statutory guidance, Annex D3, which applies to all tenancies covered by the Repairing Standard from 1 March 2024. The paragraph numbers below (D.55 and so on) refer to that annex.
The five yearly electrical checks at a glance
| What is checked | How often | What the guidance says |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed wiring: consumer unit, circuits, sockets, switches, light fittings (the EICR) | Before the first let, then no more than five years apart | D.56, D.85 and D.86 |
| Appliances the landlord supplies (PAT, or in service inspection and testing) | Same visit as the EICR, and often more frequently if the tester sets an earlier retest date | D.56 and D.83 |
| RCD protection | At all times | At least one 30 mA RCD in the main consumer unit (D.55) |
| C1 and C2 faults on the report | Put right to meet the Repairing Standard | D.67 |
| FI (further investigation) on the report | As soon as practically possible | D.71 |
| Visual check of the electrics | Every year where a tenancy runs over a year (good practice) | D.87 |
What an EICR in a rented home must cover
The Electrical Installation Condition Report covers the installation for the supply of electricity and its fittings, including the consumer unit, light fittings, light switches, socket outlets and any visible wiring. It also includes a visual inspection of fixed electrical equipment such as storage heaters, electric showers, water heaters and hard wired detectors (D.63).
The report has to give the date, the full address, the landlord’s or agent’s details, the inspector’s details and evidence that the inspector is competent, along with each item inspected and any defects found (D.64). A report that leaves those out is not doing its job.
PAT testing on landlord appliances
Alongside the EICR, appliances the landlord provides need in service inspection and testing, usually called PAT testing (D.56). That covers things like fridges, washing machines, kettles, toasters, televisions and portable heaters (D.75). Three details tenants often ask about:
- Your own appliances are not included. The duty only applies to appliances the landlord provides (D.82).
- Appliances bought new less than a year before the test do not need testing yet, but they should be listed on the equipment register with the date their first test is due. Second hand appliances must be tested (D.81).
- The retest date is set at the test and is usually more frequent than five years (D.83).
RCD protection: what the rule actually says
Since 1 March 2024 the Repairing Standard has specifically required RCD protection. Paragraph D.55 says there must be one or more RCD, rated at no more than 30 mA, in the main or principal consumer unit, and that this will normally cover the socket outlet circuit as a minimum. The exact protection needed varies with the installation, so the guidance tells landlords to follow the EICR for what their property needs. A home with no RCD at all does not meet the Repairing Standard.
Two things the rule does not say. It does not require an RCD on every circuit, and it does not make a working split load board, where RCDs cover the sockets, fail. If someone tells your landlord the whole board must be replaced because of the 2024 change, ask what the EICR actually recorded. Where a board genuinely has no RCD, the fix is usually a new consumer unit, which we price from £550 + VAT through our consumer unit service in Aberdeen.
What the report codes mean for your home
Each finding on an EICR is given a code. Under BS 7671:2018+A4:2026, the current edition of the wiring regulations, only C1 and C2 make the overall result unsatisfactory.
- C1, danger present. Anyone using the installation is at risk. It should be made safe on discovery where practical, and fixed immediately (D.68).
- C2, potentially dangerous. Urgent remedial action is required (D.69). C1 and C2 items must be rectified for the home to meet the Repairing Standard (D.67).
- C3, improvement recommended. Not a source of immediate or potential danger. Landlords should consider addressing it where possible, but it is not necessarily required (D.70).
- FI, further investigation. Advisory under Amendment 4, but in a let property it should be investigated as soon as practically possible, because it may reveal a dangerous condition (D.71).
When repairs are done, they are recorded separately, normally on a Minor Electrical Installation Works Certificate. If the consumer unit is replaced, an Electrical Installation Certificate is issued (D.72).
Your rights as a tenant
- A copy of the report. The most recent EICR must be given to you before your tenancy starts. If an inspection is done during your tenancy, you must be given a copy of that one too (D.84).
- You do not pay for it. Tenants cannot be required to pay for, or contribute to, the electrical safety inspection unless the First-tier Tribunal orders it (D.58).
- Notice before entry. Section 184 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006 requires at least a full day’s notice before entry, unless the situation is urgent.
- A competent inspector. The person doing the EICR must be a skilled person competent in the work. A business registered with an accredited scheme, such as NICEIC or NAPIT, meets that test, or the individual must be able to complete the checklist in the guidance (D.61 and D.62).
Between inspections
Five years is the minimum, not the only check. Where a tenancy runs longer than a year, the guidance calls annual visual checks good practice: the consumer unit for damage, switches and sockets for damage or overloading, visible cables, and appliances, plugs and leads (D.87). Landlords should also ask tenants to press the test button on RCDs every six months, smoke and heat detectors every week, and carbon monoxide detectors every month (D.88).
As a tenant, pressing the RCD test button is a simple check you can do yourself. The RCD should switch off. Reset it, and if it will not switch off or will not reset, tell your landlord.
If your landlord has not done the checks
Start by asking your landlord or letting agent for a copy of the latest EICR. If the checks have not been done, or C1 and C2 faults have not been fixed, you can apply to the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland (Housing and Property Chamber). The tribunal can issue a Repairing Standard Enforcement Order, and failing to carry out the repairs it requires without a reasonable excuse is a criminal offence. The tribunal can also make a Rent Relief Order restricting the rent until the order is complied with (Repairing Standard guidance, section 6).
You may see large fixed penalties quoted on UK wide websites. Those come from the separate rules for private landlords in England. In Scotland, enforcement of the Repairing Standard runs through the tribunal as described above.
Frequently asked questions
Do landlords in Scotland need an EICR?
Yes. Private landlords must have the electrical installation inspected and tested before the property is first let and then at intervals of no more than five years, and an EICR is the record of that inspection. A recent Electrical Installation Certificate can stand in for an EICR if it was issued no more than five years ago and its next inspection date has not passed (D.73).
Does my landlord have to give me a copy of the EICR?
Yes. A new tenant must be given the most recent EICR before the tenancy starts, and a sitting tenant must be given a copy of any inspection done during their tenancy. The landlord must keep their copy for six years (D.84).
Is PAT testing a legal requirement for landlords in Scotland?
Yes, for appliances the landlord supplies. The guidance requires in service inspection and testing of landlord appliances alongside the EICR. Tenants’ own appliances are not included.
Does every circuit need an RCD in a rented home?
No. The guidance requires at least one 30 mA RCD in the main consumer unit, normally covering the socket outlet circuit as a minimum, with the exact protection depending on the installation and what the EICR recommends.
Who pays for the landlord’s electrical inspection?
The landlord. Tenants cannot be required to pay for or contribute to the electrical safety inspection unless the First-tier Tribunal orders it.
Does a new tenancy mean a new EICR?
Not necessarily. The inspection does not have to be repeated every time a tenancy starts, as long as one has been carried out in the five years before the tenancy begins (D.56).
For landlords: getting it done
If you let property in the North East, our landlord electrician service in Aberdeen covers the EICR, PAT testing of the appliances you supply and any remedial work, with copies sent to your agent if you ask. The EICR itself starts from £150 + VAT for the board and first five circuits, then £15 + VAT per extra circuit. For the inspection on its own, see our EICR service in Aberdeen or our EICR service across Aberdeenshire. Call 07304 027013 or contact us for a fixed price.
