HMO and commercial EICRs in Harrow

Why HMOs get closer attention

More people sharing a building means more appliances, more cooking and more extension leads, and a fault affects every household in it. The Electrical Safety Standards regulations apply to HMOs just as they do to single lets, so the five-year EICR and the 28-day rules for copies and remedial work all apply.

A licensed HMO carries further conditions under the Housing Act 2004. The licence holder must keep every electrical installation in proper working order and safe for continued use, keep any appliances they supply in a safe condition, fit a smoke alarm on each storey with living accommodation, and give the council a declaration on any of these when asked.

Licensing in Harrow, Brent and Barnet

Larger HMOs, with five or more people from two or more households, need a mandatory licence everywhere. For smaller ones the rules differ by borough. Harrow licensed them across the whole borough from 6 August 2021 until the scheme ended on 5 August 2026, and consulted in early 2026 on renewing it. Barnet has licensed them borough-wide since 27 October 2022. Brent went further: since 2 February 2026 almost every privately rented home in the borough needs a licence, including HMOs with three or four tenants. Barnet also consulted in 2026 on licensing all private lets in ten wards. A licence does not change the electrical rules, but it does mean the council knows the property and can ask for the report at any time. Our area pages cover each borough.

Arc fault detection in HMOs

The wiring regulations, BS 7671, call for arc fault detection devices (AFDDs) on socket-outlet circuits rated up to 32 A in HMOs, care homes, purpose-built student accommodation and tall residential buildings. An AFDD spots the electrical arcing a damaged cable or loose connection produces and switches the circuit off before it can start a fire. The requirement applies when new work is designed, so it matters most when an HMO gets a new consumer unit or new socket circuits, and we include AFDDs in those quotes.

Shops, offices and other workplaces

The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 require electrical systems at work to be maintained so they are safe, but, as the HSE explains, they do not set how or how often that is checked. A current EICR is how most small businesses show they have done it, and insurers, landlords and leases often ask to see one. For a flat above a shop, the flat’s own installation needs the landlord EICR; the shop’s supply is a separate report for whoever is responsible for it.

What affects the price

For an HMO or a business, the number of distribution boards and circuits matters most, followed by the number of rooms, communal areas and outbuildings, and whether every room can be opened on the day. A three-phase supply or sub-boards in different parts of the building add time. We price after a short conversation about the building, so the quote reflects what is actually there.