Between Tenants — The Electrical Changeover Checklist

A letting agent in York rang me last autumn. Her new tenant had just moved in. A dead socket in the kitchen. A smoke alarm chirping low-battery warnings at 2am. An outside light hanging off the wall. None of it dangerous. All of it catchable in the two weeks the property sat empty. That void window is the cheapest, easiest time to deal with electrical issues. Most landlords waste it.

Here is the changeover checklist I recommend to every landlord and letting agent I work with. Some items are visual checks you can do yourself. Others need an electrician. The point is to know which is which, and to use the empty-property window to handle everything in one pass.

1. EICR Validity Check

Before anything else, check the date on the current EICR. The report is valid for five years, and the regulations require a valid report to be in place before a new tenancy starts. You don’t need a new one for every tenant change, but if the report expires within the next twelve months, the void period is the time to schedule the renewal.

Doing the EICR with the property empty is significantly easier than working around an active tenant. I can test every circuit without coordinating access to bedrooms, and there’s no need to switch off someone’s fridge or interrupt their broadband. If the report is due within a year, book it now. If it’s not due for three years, move on to the next item.

2. Smoke and CO Alarm Test

Press-test every alarm in the property. Not a glance at it, an actual button press to confirm it sounds. Check the manufacture date on the back: smoke alarms should be replaced every ten years, CO alarms every five to seven years depending on the manufacturer. If any alarm fails to sound, replace it before the new tenant moves in.

Since June 2022, the regulations require alarms to be in working order at the start of every new tenancy, not just when they’re first installed. This is your confirmation point. A two-minute walk through the property with a stepladder is all it takes.

3. Light Fitting Check

Switch on every light in the property. Check for blown bulbs, flickering, cracked shades, and missing covers. Bathroom lights with broken diffusers are a particular issue, the IP rating depends on the enclosure being intact. A cracked bathroom light fitting isn’t just cosmetic; it’s a potential ingress point for moisture into a live fitting.

Replace any blown bulbs. If a light flickers or doesn’t work despite a new bulb, that needs an electrician, it could be a loose connection, a faulty switch, or a wiring issue behind the fitting.

4. Socket Condition

Walk through every room and visually inspect each socket. Look for cracked faceplates, scorch marks, sockets that sit proud of the wall (indicating a loose back box), and any signs of heat discolouration. Plug a phone charger or lamp into each one to confirm it’s live.

Damaged sockets are one of the most common observations on EICRs. Replacing a cracked faceplate takes five minutes and costs next to nothing, but leaving it creates a code on the next report and, in the worst case, exposes live parts behind the plate.

5. Consumer Unit Label Accuracy

Open the consumer unit and check the circuit schedule. Does it accurately describe what each circuit feeds? If the previous tenant added or removed appliances, or if any work has been done since the last EICR, the labels may no longer match reality. “Kitchen sockets” is only useful if it still feeds the kitchen sockets and nothing else.

An accurate circuit schedule isn’t just for the EICR; it’s a practical safety tool. If the new tenant needs to isolate a circuit in an emergency, the labels need to be right.

6. PAT Testing (If You Provide Appliances)

If you supply any portable appliances, a washing machine, fridge-freezer, microwave, or kettle, the void period is the natural time to have them PAT tested. There is no specific legal requirement for PAT testing in rental properties, but you have a general duty of care under the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994 to ensure that appliances you provide are safe to use.

PAT testing is quick and inexpensive. It creates a dated record showing each appliance was tested and found satisfactory. That record is useful if anything is ever queried, and the void period means every appliance is accessible without disturbing a tenant.

7. Metering and Supply Check

Confirm the meter is accessible, the supply is live, and the meter reading matches what the outgoing tenant reported. If the property has a prepayment meter and the new tenancy is credit, or vice versa, the energy supplier needs to arrange the switch before move-in.

Also check whether the main fuse and meter tails are in good condition. If the tails are old, damaged, or undersized, that’s a conversation to have with the distribution network operator, not something I can work on without their involvement, but something that should be flagged before a new tenant moves in.

8. Garden and Outdoor Electrics

Walk the outside of the property. Check any external sockets, garden lighting, security lights, and PIR sensors. External electrics take a battering from weather and are easy to overlook because they’re outside the main living space. An outside socket with a broken weatherproof cover is no longer weatherproof, and will appear as an observation on the next EICR.

If there’s a garden shed with power, check that too. Shed electrics are frequently wired as DIY extensions and may not be on the consumer unit schedule at all.

What to Schedule vs What to Just Check

Most of the items above are visual checks that you or your letting agent can do in twenty minutes with a stepladder and a phone charger. The items that actually need an electrician are: EICR renewal (if due), smoke alarm replacement or upgrade (if failed or expired), remedial work on damaged sockets or fittings, and PAT testing if you want appliances formally tested.

The value of the checklist isn’t doing everything, it’s knowing what needs attention before the new tenant arrives, rather than finding out from a complaint call three days after move-in.

Coordinating With Your Letting Agent

If you use a letting agent, share this checklist with them as part of the changeover process. Most agents will do a basic property inspection between tenants, but electrical items are often missed unless someone is specifically looking for them. The agent can handle the visual checks and flag anything that needs an electrician, then I can schedule one visit to deal with everything, rather than three separate callouts.

For more on how that coordination works in practice, read part six of this series: working with your letting agent on electrical compliance.

For the full picture on EICR fines, see the £40,000 fine and what triggers it. If your property is an HMO, the requirements are more extensive, read what’s different for HMOs. And if you’re buying a property to let, what to check on the electrics before purchase covers the pre-acquisition side.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a new EICR between every tenant?

No. The EICR is valid for five years regardless of tenant changes. But the void period is the right time to check the expiry date. If the report expires within the next twelve months, it’s far easier to schedule the inspection now, with the property empty, than during an active tenancy.

What electrical checks should I do between tenants?

Check EICR validity, test all smoke and CO alarms, inspect sockets and light fittings for damage, verify consumer unit labelling is accurate, test any appliances you’re providing (PAT testing), check outdoor and garden electrics, and confirm metering is correct. Most of this is visual, the items that need an electrician are the EICR and any remedial work.

Do landlord-provided appliances need PAT testing?

There is no specific legal requirement for PAT testing in rental properties, but if you provide appliances (washing machine, fridge, microwave), you have a duty of care to ensure they are safe. PAT testing between tenants is the simplest way to demonstrate that duty. It’s quick, inexpensive, and creates a dated record.

Should I schedule an electrician for every tenant changeover?

Not necessarily. Most of the checklist items are visual checks you or your letting agent can do. You need an electrician when the EICR is due for renewal, when you find damaged sockets or fittings, when smoke alarms need replacing or upgrading, or when you want appliances PAT tested. The void period is about checking, and then scheduling work only where it’s needed.

What about outdoor electrics on rental properties?

Garden lighting, outside sockets, and security lights are easy to forget because they’re not inside the property. Check that outdoor sockets have working RCD protection, that light fittings are intact and watertight, and that any PIR sensors are functioning. Damaged outdoor electrics are a safety issue and will appear on the next EICR.

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