UK Landlord Trying to Deduct Deposit for Unnecessary Electrician Test.

[Wingo123]

Hi everyone,

I recently moved out of my rented property, and as expected, my landlord is attempting to withhold a significant portion of my deposit. One of the charges she's insisting on is £300 for an electrician to conduct an EICR test.

Here's the situation: I'm a qualified electrician, and during my tenancy, I simply swapped the upstairs bedroom light with the living room light. I didn't tamper with any wiring; I only changed an accessory. My understanding is that no certificate is required for this kind of minor change, as there were no alterations to the wiring.

I've tried explaining this to my landlord, but she's adamant about the charge. Now, I've escalated the issue and filed a dispute with TDS (Tenancy Deposit Scheme). However, I'm hoping to get some additional confirmation and possibly a reference to the regulations that support my stance.

Can anyone confirm if I'm correct in my understanding? And perhaps provide a specific part of the regulations that backs up my argument?

Thank you in advance for any advice or insights you can offer!

 

[davesparks]

Did you get permission in writing to swap the lights over before you did it?

Is the EICR being carried out because you moved the lights or is it being carried out because it is due anyway?

 

[Wingo123]

Did you get permission in writing to swap the lights over before you did it?

Is the EICR being carried out because you moved the lights or is it being carried out because it is due anyway?

No, I didn't get permission. I didn't think it was needed at the time and they are trying to charge me for a EICR as I swapped the light fitting. I didn't move the location of the lights, I only changed the fitting it's self.

 

[davesparks]

Your tenancy agreement will include a clause stating that you are not allowed to make such an alteration without the landlords permission.

However I don't think it is reasonable to expect you to pay for an EICR in response to this, they could probably reasonably deduct the cost of having the lights put back to where they were at the start of the tenancy.

You will have to take this to the TDS and let them decide, if you are not happy with their decision follow the correct procedure after that.
Stay calm and deal with it reasonably, don't let yourself get wound up and say or do something regrettable, communicate only in writing and keep copies of everything.


In the future when moving in to a rented property take detailed pictures of every part of the property so that when you leave you can return it exactly as it was at the start of the tenancy.

No matter how nice or reasonable a landlord may appear to be don't take any chances, do everything you can to protect yourself.

 

[buzzlightyear]

One of the charges she's insisting on is £300 for an electrician to conduct an EICR test.

has their been any EICR done before you moved in or was any done at all.

 

[Wingo123]

has their been any EICR done before you moved in or was any done at all.

There was one done in 2020, so 4 years ago

 

[davesparks]

There was one done in 2020, so 4 years ago

So the mandatory 5 yearly EICR for a rented property is not yet due. So they are claiming this purely as a means of checking that the unauthorised work you did is compliant. This is over the top of it is just the moving of 2 light fittings that needs to be checked.

I also suspect they have seen this as an opportunity to get their next EICR done ahead of time and paid for by someone else.

 

[Wingo123]

So the mandatory 5 yearly EICR for a rented property is not yet due. So they are claiming this purely as a means of checking that the unauthorised work you did is compliant. This is over the top of it is just the moving of 2 light fittings that needs to be checked.

I also suspect they have seen this as an opportunity to get their next EICR done ahead of time and paid for by someone else.

Yes, they are trying to charge me £300+ for a new EICR as I swapped over 2 lights. I agree with you. It seems like they are trying to get the money to get it done now instead of having to pay themselves next year.

 

[littlespark]

If you are an electrician, can you produce a test certificate just to cover the circuits you worked on? Even if it was just changing accessories?

An EICR can also be limited to specific circuits, doesn’t have to be all of them.

 

[buzzlightyear]

Yes, they are trying to charge me £300+ for a new EICR as I swapped over 2 lights. I agree with you. It seems like they are trying to get the money to get it done now instead of having to pay themselves next year

get a mate to give you a minor .
that £300.00 scam does not warrant that to be done .
start nit picking on the electrics and see what they say then .
hammer time .ooops thats a crack in that ooops thats falling down .

 

[Rockingit]

So the mandatory 5 yearly EICR for a rented property is not yet due. So they are claiming this purely as a means of checking that the unauthorised work you did is compliant. This is over the top of it is just the moving of 2 light fittings that needs to be checked.

I also suspect they have seen this as an opportunity to get their next EICR done ahead of time and paid for by someone else.

I thought it was also between change of tenancy? Always used to be in BS7671.

My first thoughts are 1) How did they even notice anyway, 2) They’re just trying to scam the EICR that’s due anyway (see above) and 3) The easiest route through the deadlock will be to say “fine, get the inspection done, and if it flags anything directly to do with those two pendants (or whatever) then you’ll arrange to get those issues and those issues only corrected.”

 

[Wingo123]

I thought it was also between change of tenancy? Always used to be in BS7671.

My first thoughts are 1) How did they even notice anyway, 2) They’re just trying to scam the EICR that’s due anyway (see above) and 3) The easiest route through the deadlock will be to say “fine, get the inspection done, and if it flags anything directly to do with those two pendants (or whatever) then you’ll arrange to get those issues and those issues only corrected.”

I'm not gonna do that. That means I have to pay £300 for them to do the inspection lol

 

[Rockingit]

I'm not gonna do that. That means I have to pay £300 for them to do the inspection lol

That’s not what I said. I said throw the gauntlet and say that if it flags an issue then you’ll resolve that issue - not that you’ll pay for an inspection.

 

[Wingo123]

That’s not what I said. I said throw the gauntlet and say that if it flags an issue then you’ll resolve that issue - not that you’ll pay for an inspection.

Okay, sorry. I tried that, and they didn't accept it. They said "it's part of regulation to have a EICR certificate."

 

[DPG]

I thought it was also between change of tenancy? Always used to be in BS7671.

My first thoughts are 1) How did they even notice anyway, 2) They’re just trying to scam the EICR that’s due anyway (see above) and 3) The easiest route through the deadlock will be to say “fine, get the inspection done, and if it flags anything directly to do with those two pendants (or whatever) then you’ll arrange to get those issues and those issues only corrected.”

It's not change of tenancy. Would be almost impossible with short term 6 month tenancy agreements anyway.