BS 7671:2018+A4:2026 Is In Force: What York Landlords Need to Know

Amendment 4 to the 18th Edition of BS 7671 came into force on 15 April 2026. If you are a landlord in York and you have seen the headlines, you probably want to know two things. Is your current EICR still valid, and do you need to do anything about it today.

The short version of both answers is reassuring. Your EICR is still valid for its full 5-year cycle. You do not need to do anything today. The rest of this post explains why, what A4:2026 actually means in practice, and the three things I would suggest every landlord puts on their calendar for this month.

Your existing EICR is still valid

This is the question I am getting on the phone most often this week. “Amendment 4 is in force. Do I need a new EICR?”

The answer is no. Your EICR is valid until its expiry date, which for rental properties is five years from the date of issue. When it expires and you commission a new one, that new test will be conducted against A4:2026. Between now and then, nothing changes for you.

If you had an EICR done in 2024 or 2025, it was tested against BS 7671:2018+A2:2024, the previous version of the standard. That remains a valid certificate for its full life. If anyone tries to tell you otherwise, they are either mistaken or they are trying to sell you something you do not need.

What actually changes with A4:2026

I am going to be honest with you. Most of what is in Amendment 4 is technical detail that matters to electricians more than it matters to landlords. It is the kind of content that gets discussed at NICEIC assessments and in trade journals, not the kind that changes what a landlord has to do to stay compliant.

What I can tell you is what the amendment does, in principle. British wiring regulations are updated because the profession learns. Every amendment closes off a type of failure that electricians and investigators have seen in the real world. A4:2026 continues that work. It tightens specifications, updates detection requirements, and brings the rules further into line with how modern installations are actually being built and used.

Crucially, the regulations are not retrospective. An installation that was compliant under an older amendment does not become illegal overnight when a new one lands. What does change is the standard of any new work commissioned from today. A consumer unit fitted next week will be fitted to A4. A rewire starting tomorrow will be certified to A4. Any remedial work from an existing EICR must now be done to A4, even if the original certificate was issued to an older version of the standard.

Three scenarios where A4 actually matters to you

Your next EICR. When your current certificate expires and you book a new one, the inspection will be conducted against A4:2026. Anything that was installed to older standards is fine if it was compliant at the time of installation. Anything that would not be compliant under A4 is likely to be flagged as a C3 improvement recommendation rather than a C2 failure, unless the issue is genuinely unsafe.

Any new installation work. If you are commissioning an EV charger, a consumer unit upgrade, a rewire, or a new circuit, the electrician should be fitting to A4 from today. Ask them directly. If they do not mention A4 when they give you the estimate, you should want to know why.

Remedial work from a recent EICR. If you have an EICR from 2024 or 2025 with outstanding remedials you have not yet actioned, any new work you commission to fix those remedials must now be done to A4. The old certificate is still valid. The findings on it are still the findings on it. But the new work done in response to those findings has to meet the new standard.

Three things to do this month

Check the date on your current EICR. If it was issued more than three years ago, start thinking about the next one. I book EICRs for York landlords three to six months in advance during busy periods, particularly around student turnover in August and the usual pre-Christmas rush.

Ask your electrician whether they are trained on A4. NICEIC approved contractors are assessed annually and A4 is part of that assessment. Non-registered electricians may or may not have completed the CPD required to understand the new amendment. You need to know. If you are booking a new EICR today, it is a fair question to ask before you commit.

Do not rush to replace anything just because of A4. An older installation that was compliant at the time of fitting does not become illegal the day a new amendment drops. That is not how the wiring regulations work. Do not let anyone use “Amendment 4” as a scare tactic to sell you work you do not need. If someone is quoting you for a consumer unit upgrade “because of the new regs”, ask them to point to the specific clause that requires it on your property. If they cannot answer, walk away.

The short version

The regulations got a bit safer. The detection got a bit smarter. The specification of good electrical work moved forward by a small, important step. Your existing EICR is still valid. Your next one will be tested to the new standard. Your electrician should know the difference. And you should be able to call someone who will answer questions like these without making you feel stupid for asking them.

Frankie Sewell
NICEIC Approved Contractor • YRLA Recognised Service Provider • Bright Sparks of York