Landlords ask for a number and we usually give a range, because the right interval depends less on the calendar than on what is behind the walls.
The default: five years or change of tenancy
For a property with a modern consumer unit, sound cabling and a clean previous report, a periodic inspection every five years or at each change of tenancy is a reasonable baseline. It catches the wear that shows up with use: loose terminations, damaged accessories, an appliance circuit that someone has extended without asking.
When to shorten it
Three things pull the interval in. Rubber or fabric insulated cable anywhere in the property means annual eyes on it, no argument. A previous report with C2 or FI codes means a re-check once the remedial work is signed off, not five years later. And furnished properties with high turnover accumulate damage faster than the paperwork suggests.
An inspection report is not pass or fail. It is a list of observations with codes, and the codes are the part worth reading.
What the report is actually telling you
C1 means danger present and needs action the same day. C2 means potentially dangerous and needs remedial work. C3 is an improvement recommendation, not a defect, and you are allowed to leave it. Knowing the difference stops landlords paying for C3 work they never needed and stops them ignoring a C2 that matters.
Keep the paperwork with the property
The report, the certificates for any remedial work, and the schedule of test results should travel with the property, not with the agent. When the next inspection comes round, having the previous set halves the time on site and gives the inspector a baseline to compare against.
Send us a photo
Open the panel door, photograph the label, and we will tell you the make, the age, and whether it needs replacing.