Social housing EICR deadline (1 November) and the rented-sector changes due on 30 November

If you do EICRs for councils or housing associations in England, this week matters. Existing social tenancies need the electrical installation inspected and tested before 1 November 2026. Then a set of changes to the rented-sector regulations is due on 30 November 2026, if Parliament approves them. Here's what's confirmed, what's still in draft, and what it means when you're writing the report.

1 November 2026: the social housing deadline

The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private and Social Rented Sectors (England) Regulations now cover social housing as well as private lets. The government guidance sets out the timetable:

• The regulations came into force for the social rented sector on 1 November 2025, applying to social tenancies granted after 1 December 2025.
• For social tenancies granted before 1 December 2025, they came into force on 1 May 2026.
• For those older tenancies, social landlords must make sure the electrical installation is inspected and tested by a qualified person before 1 November 2026, and that any electrical equipment they provide is checked by a qualified person by the same date.
• After that, inspection and testing is at least every five years.

The landlord's duties once your report is in are the same ones private landlords already know. A copy goes to the existing tenant within 28 days, to a new tenant before they move in, and to the council within 7 days if it asks. Where the report shows remedial or further investigative work is needed, the landlord has 28 days (or less if your report says so) to get it done and send written confirmation to the tenant and the council. For social landlords who provide electrical equipment, the report must also say whether the equipment checks are up to date. Councils can fine landlords up to £40,000 for breaches.

In practice that means a lot of social housing EICRs are being booked right up to the wire, and plenty of C1, C2 and remedial follow-ups will land in November.

30 November 2026: changes in draft

The government has laid the draft Electrical Safety Standards in the Private and Social Rented Sectors (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 before Parliament. It's a draft that needs approval by both Houses, so it isn't law yet. As laid, it would come into force on 30 November 2026 and would:

• Update the standard to Amendment 4. References to "BS 7671: 2018" become "BS 7671:2018+A4:2026", bringing the regulations in line with the edition that's been the only current version since 15 October.
• Remove "further investigative work". Amendment 4 means an FI observation no longer makes a report unsatisfactory on its own (see the NICEIC Amendment 4 FAQ). The draft takes the matching references out of the landlord duties. There's a saving provision, so the change doesn't apply to inspections completed before 30 November 2026. FIs on reports done before then still carry the old 28-day duty.
• Clarify new tenancies. A fresh inspection isn't needed before a new tenancy starts, as long as the last one was within five years and the next-inspection date on the report hasn't passed. The draft gives the same clarification for social landlords' equipment checks.

Keep an eye on whether it's approved before 30 November. If the date slips, the current wording stays.

Housing associations will be counting your reports

The Regulator of Social Housing has also finalised a new electrical safety checks tenant satisfaction measure (BS06). Landlords will report the proportion of homes where all required electrical safety checks have been carried out and recorded, including communal areas. Under the technical requirements, landlords with 1,000 or more homes report first for 2026/27, with figures as at 31 March 2027. Expect clients to care a lot more about clean, complete and on-time paperwork.

What it means on site

• Write to Amendment 4. Use the current forms and coding guidance. The NAPIT notice on A4 taking full effect is a handy refresher.
• Be clear on what's urgent. Landlords work to 28 days, or less if your report says so. If something needs doing sooner, say so plainly on the report.
• Note equipment checks for social landlords. If the landlord supplies equipment, they need the report to say whether those checks are up to date.
• Don't lose time to your own kit. When you're doing back-to-back flats, hunting for a probe tip in the van or the bottom of the bag adds up fast.

That last one's why I made Tip-Clip. It locks onto your probe tips and clips onto your tester strap or tool belt, so your GS38 tips and caps stay together between jobs. It's not a regulation thing, just one less thing to look for on a busy day.

More on keeping your leads in good shape: How to look after your test leads and probes. For the A4 changes in more detail: Amendment 4: what's changed for EICRs and testing.

This is a summary for electricians, not legal advice. Check the linked GOV.UK and legislation.gov.uk pages for the full wording, and look out for the final version of the amendment regulations.