Do I Need an EICR to Sell My House?

There's no law in Scotland that says a homeowner must hold a valid EICR to sell their property — but in practice, it comes up in a large number of sales anyway, usually requested by someone else in the chain rather than required upfront.

Here's who actually asks for one, and why it's often worth getting ahead of it.

The legal position

For owner-occupied property being sold, there's no statutory requirement to produce an EICR. This is different from the position for landlords letting a property, who do have a clear legal duty to hold one — the sale of a home you live in yourself isn't covered by the same rules.

Why it comes up anyway

Buyers' solicitors, surveyors, and sometimes mortgage lenders frequently ask for evidence of the electrical installation's condition as part of due diligence, particularly for older properties or where a survey has flagged the wiring as worth checking. It's not a legal box that must be ticked, but in a competitive market it can genuinely smooth or stall a sale depending on whether you already have an answer ready.

The case for getting one done before listing

Getting an EICR done proactively, before a buyer or their solicitor asks, means you're not scrambling to book an inspection and potential remedial work at a point in the sale where delays cost real money and goodwill. It also gives you an honest picture of anything worth fixing before it becomes a negotiating point.

What happens if the report comes back unsatisfactory

An unsatisfactory EICR doesn't stop a sale outright, but it typically leads to a conversation about who fixes what, or a price adjustment reflecting the cost of remedial work. Having the report — and ideally the remedial work already sorted — puts you in a stronger position than a buyer finding an issue themselves late in the process.