Electrical Installation Condition Report (Flat)

The inspection checks whether the installation is still safe to use. The report describes the installation, lists the measured values and any defects, and gives a clear overall verdict: satisfactory or unsatisfactory.

There are two main types of inspection:

• Initial verification is carried out before a new or altered installation is first switched on, for example after new build, a rewire or a larger change to the circuits
• Periodic inspection is repeated after some years and checks whether the installation has deteriorated in the meantime

Only a person qualified and authorised to carry out electrical inspection and testing under local rules may issue the report. Not every electrician holds this authorisation, even an experienced one. Many countries run registration or certification schemes for electrical inspectors. If you are unsure, ask the inspector to show proof of their qualification or registration and check it with the scheme or authority that issued it.

In many countries, owner-occupied flats have no fixed legal interval for inspection, unlike businesses and workplaces. That does not mean an inspection is unnecessary. In practice you will need one in these situations:

• After electrical work, even partial work such as replacing the consumer unit (fuse box), circuit breakers or the wiring in a kitchen or bathroom
• When a new build or alteration is signed off; check with your local building authority which documents it requires under local building regulations
• When buying or selling; it is often not legally required, but it tells a buyer a lot about the wiring, especially in older blocks with aluminium cables or outdated circuits
• After a fault, short circuit or fire, to find the cause and confirm that the rest of the installation is sound
• When letting a flat; in some countries landlords must have the installation inspected at set intervals, so check the rules where you live

For older flats, a check roughly every ten years is a sensible guide, and more often if the wiring is in poor condition. If small children or elderly people live with you, an inspection is all the more worthwhile.

It also helps to know who is responsible for what. The flat owner is usually responsible for the installation inside the flat, from the meter onwards. Risers, corridors, cellars and other communal areas fall to the building management or owners' association. If the work involves the main fuse or the meter, the electricity network operator may have its own requirements.

In a typical flat the inspection usually takes one to three hours. A larger flat or a more complex installation, for example one with electric underfloor heating, can take longer. The process usually looks like this:

1. The inspector reviews any available documents: wiring diagrams, the circuit chart in the consumer unit or a previous report.
2. They carry out a visual inspection of the consumer unit, circuit labelling, sockets, switches and visible cables, and check that fittings suit the room, for example in the bathroom.
3. They test the continuity of protective conductors, in other words whether the earth reaches every socket and every appliance that needs it.
4. They measure insulation resistance, which shows whether cable insulation is damaged or has aged.
5. They check polarity and measure earth fault loop impedance to confirm that a breaker will switch off quickly enough if a fault occurs.
6. They test the residual current devices (RCDs) to see whether they trip at the right leakage current and within the right time.
7. They assess the results against the relevant standards, typically national standards based on IEC 60364 / HD 60364-6, and write up the report.

The power in your flat will be off for short periods during testing, so plan for the fridge, computers or an aquarium. For the insulation resistance test, appliances need to be unplugged, otherwise they can distort the results or be damaged.

How much time the inspector needs depends mainly on the flat and the paperwork available:

• Documentation: with a wiring diagram and an earlier report, the inspector does not have to work out which breaker serves which room
• Number of circuits: more circuits, sockets and RCDs mean more tests
• Access to the consumer unit: a fuse box hidden behind a wardrobe or boxed in with tiles slows things down
• Age and condition of the wiring: with aluminium cables or messy past alterations, the inspector has to trace how things are connected
• Wet areas: bathrooms and balconies have stricter requirements and get a more thorough check
• Defects found: the inspection does not fix anything; repairs are separate work by an electrician, and a retest is usually needed afterwards

The same problems turn up again and again. Knowing about them in advance means the result is less of a surprise:

• No RCD: older flats often have none, even though an RCD cuts the power within a fraction of a second if someone gets a shock
• Aluminium wiring in poor condition: loose or overheated connections that can start a fire
• Amateur alterations: a replaced socket without an earth, a light connected in an improvised way, a breaker of the wrong rating
• Cheap uncertified products: sockets and extension leads that overheat under load
• No labelling in the consumer unit, so in a fault nobody knows what to switch off

If the inspector finds a serious defect, the report will be marked unsatisfactory and they may advise you not to use part of the installation until it is repaired. This is not a nuisance. It protects you from shocks and fire. If you have done any electrical work yourself, say so openly, as it saves time for both sides.

Only a qualified electrician should work on the installation, so do not try to repair the defects yourself.

You will receive the report in writing. Keep it with the other documents for the flat and pass it on to the new owner if you sell. Before you accept it, check that it contains:

• The address and exact identification of the flat
• The type of inspection, initial verification or periodic inspection
• The inspector's name, registration or certificate number and signature
• The date of the inspection and the recommended date for the next one
• A description of the installation, including cable type, number of circuits, breakers and RCDs
• Measured values for each circuit, not just a general "satisfactory"
• A list of defects found, with their location and the recommended remedy
• A clear overall conclusion on whether the installation is safe to use