Do I need an EICR for a holiday let?

A short, honest reading of official guidance for England, Scotland and Wales. Written by Hastech, which is building Letsafely, a reminder and log tool for holiday-let hosts.

This is not legal advice. It is not a risk assessment. It does not tell you what a particular property needs. If you are unsure, ask a competent electrician or your local council or licensing authority.

We do not sell Electrical Installation Condition Reports (EICRs), and we do not inspect wiring.

The short answer

It depends on where the property is, and which official duty you are looking at.

• Scotland: if you need a short-term let licence, an EICR is a mandatory licence condition, with inspection at least every five years (or sooner if the competent person says so), plus a portable appliance testing (PAT) report on moveable appliances guests can use. Last checked: 10 November 2026, Europe/London. The Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 (Licensing of Short-term Lets) Order 2022, Schedule 3 Scottish Government short-term lets licensing guidance for hosts and operators, page 5
• England: this is unclear if you are asking whether the 2020 private-rented-sector electrical regulations themselves apply to a genuine short-term holiday let. Those regulations apply where the occupier has the premises as their only or main residence. A holiday guest usually does not. Separately, GOV.UK tells holiday-home hosts to follow that guidance anyway, and the official fire guide for small paying-guest accommodation says you must have the wiring checked by a qualified contractor and that the installation should be inspected and tested at least every five years. Last checked: 10 November 2026, Europe/London. Sources are in the England section below.
• Wales: there is official fire guidance for guest accommodation that tells you to have fixed electrical installations inspected and tested at least every five years. A Welsh law that applies the English 2020 private-rented-sector EICR regulations to holiday lets was not found. Last checked: 10 November 2026, Europe/London. Welsh Government, A guide to making your guest accommodation safe from fire (PDF)

Northern Ireland is not covered in detail here. Official electrical-safety pages we found were written for private tenancies. A confirmation that those tenancy rules also apply to short-term holiday lets was not found. Last checked: 10 November 2026, Europe/London.

England: two official tracks, not one tidy rule

GOV.UK’s page for letting out a self-catering holiday home in England (last updated 2 October 2026; last checked 10 November 2026, Europe/London) says you must follow:

• HSE guidance on electrical safety, and
• guidance on electrical safety standards in the private and social rented sectors.

GOV.UK, Letting out a self-catering holiday home in England: rules and regulations HSE guidance on electrical safety

The 2020 private-rented-sector regulations

The GOV.UK guidance on electrical safety standards in the private and social rented sectors (published 1 November 2025; last checked 10 November 2026, Europe/London) is about the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020.

That guidance says the regulations require landlords to have the electrical installation inspected and tested by a qualified person at least every five years, and to obtain a report (usually an EICR).

It also says: the regulations apply to landlords if their tenant has a right to occupy the premises as their only or main residence and pays rent. “Tenancy” in that guidance includes a licence to occupy.

GOV.UK, Electrical safety standards in the private and social rented sectors: guidance

A typical holiday guest is not occupying the property as their only or main residence. On the face of that guidance, it is therefore unclear whether the 2020 Regulations themselves apply to a genuine short-term holiday let in England.

GOV.UK still tells holiday-home hosts to follow that guidance. This page does not resolve the point. It needs a professional or legal view for the property.

The fire safety guide for paying guests

A different official document clearly does apply where people pay to stay and the premises is not occupied as a private dwelling: the Home Office guide Making your small paying guest accommodation safe from fire (last updated 20 January 2025; last checked 10 November 2026, Europe/London).

That guide applies to England. In it, “must” means the law and “should” means a recommendation.

On electrics, it says:

• you must make sure that your electrical wiring has been checked by a qualified contractor
• the electrical installation should be subject to inspection and test at least every five years
• electrical appliances should be subject to regular checks, and in self-catering premises you should carry out a visual check that appliances appear in good condition between lets

The fire risk assessment checklist in the same guide asks: “Are fixed electrical installations inspected and tested every 5 years?”

Home Office, Making your small paying guest accommodation safe from fire

So, for a small English holiday let, official fire guidance supports getting the fixed installation inspected and tested at least every five years. That is not the same as saying the 2020 private-rented-sector Regulations definitely apply.

Some commercial websites state, as settled law, that every English holiday let “must have an EICR every five years, the same as a tenancy.” That overstates what the official pages say.

Scotland: an EICR is a licence condition

Scotland already requires a short-term let licence from the local licensing authority. The mandatory licence conditions (last checked 10 November 2026, Europe/London) say that, where guests have access to electrical fittings or items, the licence holder must:

• keep those fittings and items in a reasonable state of repair and in proper and safe working order
• arrange an electrical safety inspection by a competent person at least every five years, or more often if that person so directs
• obtain an Electrical Installation Condition Report on any fixed installations
• arrange for a competent person to produce a Portable Appliance Testing Report on moveable appliances guests can use, and to date-label and sign inspected items

A copy of the EICR and the PAT report must be available to guests on the premises.

The Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 (Licensing of Short-term Lets) Order 2022, Schedule 3 Scottish Government short-term lets licensing guidance for hosts and operators, page 5 Scottish Government short-term lets licensing guidance for hosts and operators, page 9

Do not use an England-only checklist as if it were enough in Scotland. The licence, and any extra conditions your licensing authority sets, come first.

Wales: fire guidance points to a five-year inspection

The Fire Safety Order also applies in Wales. The Welsh Government guide A guide to making your guest accommodation safe from fire (PDF, published September 2023; last checked 10 November 2026, Europe/London) tells the responsible person to have fixed electrical installations inspected and tested at least every five years.

Welsh Government, A guide to making your guest accommodation safe from fire (PDF)

A Welsh statutory rule that applies the English 2020 private-rented-sector EICR regulations to holiday lets was not found. Last checked: 10 November 2026, Europe/London.

Wales also has a visitor accommodation registration scheme, which is a different duty from electrical inspection. See the official overview: GOV.WALES, Registering visitor accommodation: overview

What an EICR is, and what it is not

Where an inspection and test is carried out, the report is usually an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR). The England private-rented-sector guidance explains the common codes: C1 (danger present), C2 (potentially dangerous), C3 (improvement recommended) and FI (further investigation). C1, C2 and FI need action. That guidance is written for the 2020 Regulations; treat it as an explanation of the report, not as proof that those Regulations apply to your holiday let.

GOV.UK, Electrical safety standards in the private and social rented sectors: guidance Last checked: 10 November 2026, Europe/London.

An EICR is produced by a competent person after they inspect the fixed installation. A software log, a reminder, or a “compliance certificate” from a website is not an EICR.

FAQ

Is an EICR legally required for every holiday let in England? It is unclear whether the 2020 private-rented-sector regulations themselves apply, because they are written for occupiers who have the premises as their only or main residence. Official fire guidance for paying-guest accommodation in England says the wiring must be checked by a qualified contractor and should be inspected and tested at least every five years. Get advice for your property.

Is it required in Scotland? For licensed short-term lets, yes: an EICR on fixed installations is a mandatory licence condition, at least every five years or sooner if directed, plus a PAT report on moveable appliances guests can use.

What about Wales? Official guest-accommodation fire guidance says to have fixed installations inspected and tested at least every five years. A separate holiday-let EICR statute matching the English 2020 Regulations was not found.

Does a reminder app replace an EICR? No. Letsafely, if you use it, would only help you remember dates and keep a record. It does not inspect anything and it does not issue certificates.

Who should carry out the inspection? A competent person. The official England fire guide refers to a qualified contractor. The Scottish licence conditions require a competent person, having regard to Scottish Ministers’ guidance on competence. This page does not recommend a firm and does not sell the work.

Sources

All last checked 10 November 2026, Europe/London.

• GOV.UK, Letting out a self-catering holiday home in England: rules and regulations, last updated 2 October 2026. GOV.UK, Letting out a self-catering holiday home in England: rules and regulations
• GOV.UK, Electrical safety standards in the private and social rented sectors: guidance, published 1 November 2025. GOV.UK, Electrical safety standards in the private and social rented sectors: guidance
• GOV.UK / Home Office, Making your small paying guest accommodation safe from fire (accessible), last updated 20 January 2025. Home Office, Making your small paying guest accommodation safe from fire
• HSE, Electrical safety. HSE guidance on electrical safety
• The Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 (Licensing of Short-term Lets) Order 2022, Schedule 3. The Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 (Licensing of Short-term Lets) Order 2022, Schedule 3
• Scottish Government, Short term lets – licensing scheme part 1: guidance for hosts and operators, published 25 March 2026, pages 5 and 9 (Annex B). Scottish Government short-term lets licensing guidance for hosts and operators, page 5 Scottish Government short-term lets licensing guidance for hosts and operators, page 9
• Welsh Government, A guide to making your guest accommodation safe from fire (PDF), September 2023. Welsh Government, A guide to making your guest accommodation safe from fire (PDF)
• Welsh Revenue Authority / GOV.WALES, Registering visitor accommodation: overview (registration is a separate duty). GOV.WALES, Registering visitor accommodation: overview

Related reading: Do I need a gas safety check for a holiday let?, holiday let registration and licensing dates, and a free smoke and heat alarm test log.

A note about Letsafely

Hastech is building Letsafely, a reminder and log tool for holiday-let safety checks. A full version is planned. There is nothing to join here yet. This article will not be used to sell electrical certificates.