8-Bed HMO EICR
in Bournemouth
Four consumer units. Eight bedrooms. An occupied property with tenants sleeping after night shifts — and a burned socket discovered and rectified the same morning. Full EICR issued by end of day.
Four Boards, One Visit
The landlord of this eight-bedroom HMO on Wharncliffe Road, Bournemouth (BH5) had an EICR due for renewal. At this scale — eight letting rooms, communal kitchen, shared laundry, and communal bathrooms — the inspection scope is substantially larger than a typical domestic property. The installation runs across four separate consumer units, each requiring individual inspection and testing.
Rather than scheduling a return visit for any minor defects found, the landlord made a practical call: authorise SC Electric to carry out any minor remedial works on the same day. This approach saves the landlord a second call-out, keeps the property compliant in one visit, and means tenants experience minimal disruption. It's an approach we actively recommend for larger HMOs.
Multiple tenants working night shifts were still sleeping when we arrived. We mapped out the inspection sequence in advance — starting with communal areas, the meter cupboard, and unoccupied rooms, and returning to sleeping rooms once tenants had woken naturally. Eight rooms means eight different schedules to work around.
Authorising minor remedials upfront avoids a second call-out charge and means the certificate can be issued clean. We carry common accessories on every EICR job for exactly this reason.
Inspect, Test, Rectify
With four consumer units to inspect and eight rooms to work through, a clear inspection sequence is essential. We documented every circuit, every accessory, and every communal space — then addressed the one C2 finding before leaving the site.
Four Consumer Units — Full Inspection
Each of the four consumer units was individually inspected: MCB ratings, RCD presence, circuit labelling, enclosure condition, and evidence of overheating or arcing. DB1 through DB4 all documented separately in the certificate.
Socket & Accessory Condition Survey
Every socket, switch, and light fitting across all eight bedrooms, communal kitchen, laundry room, and hallways was visually assessed for cracks, discolouration, and signs of thermal damage.
Ring Final Circuit Continuity Testing
End-to-end continuity testing carried out on ring final circuits across the property, confirming wiring integrity and correct circuit configuration.
CPC Continuity on Remaining Circuits
Circuit Protective Conductor testing on all other circuits to confirm earth paths are sound — a critical check on a property with multiple distribution boards.
Communal Bathrooms & Electric Shower Circuit
Communal bathrooms inspected separately, with specific attention to the electric shower circuit — zone compliance, RCD protection, and circuit rating all verified.
Communal Kitchen Appliance Connections
Fused connections for communal kitchen appliances were inspected and tested — an often-overlooked area in HMO inspections, where heavy daily use creates accelerated wear.
C2 Rectified — Burned Socket Replaced
A burned socket outlet was identified during the inspection, coded C2 (potentially dangerous). Per the landlord's instruction, this was replaced on the spot — no return visit required, no delay to certificate issue.
EICR Certificate Issued
Full EICR delivered by PDF to the landlord the same day. All four distribution boards documented, all observations coded, remedial action noted and confirmed complete.
During the accessory survey, a socket outlet showed clear signs of thermal damage — discolouration and partial melting of the faceplate consistent with arcing or persistent overloading. Coded C2 under BS 7671. Replaced the same morning under the landlord's same-day remedial authorisation.
The landlord authorised us to carry out minor remedial works during the inspection. The burned socket was replaced before we left the site, meaning the EICR could be issued with the defect confirmed as rectified — not outstanding.
The Installation As Found
Photographs taken across the inspection — consumer units DB1 and DB2, the electrical installation overview, and the burned socket outlet that was coded C2 and replaced the same morning.
What The EICR Found
Every EICR observation is assigned a code under BS 7671. C1 is immediate danger, C2 is potentially dangerous, C3 is an improvement recommended, FI means further investigation is required. One C2 was identified and rectified on-site before the certificate was issued.
4 × consumer units — MCB ratings, RCD protection, circuit labelling, and enclosure condition assessed and documented individually for DB1 through DB4.
PassBurned socket outlet — thermal damage visible on faceplate, consistent with arcing. Coded C2. Replaced on-site under same-day remedial authorisation.
C2 → RectifiedRing final circuits — continuity testing confirmed integrity of power circuits across the property. No open-circuit faults detected.
PassCPC continuity — earth conductor testing confirmed fault protection on all remaining circuits. Sound across all four distribution boards.
PassElectric shower circuit — zone compliance, RCD protection, and circuit rating confirmed. No issues identified.
PassCommunal kitchen appliance connections — fused connections tested. All within safe limits given typical HMO usage load.
PassThe landlord's call to authorise same-day remedials was the right one. We found a burned socket — a C2, not something you leave in a tenanted property. We replaced it on the spot, documented it in the certificate as rectified, and the landlord had a clean EICR before lunch.
Book Your
HMO EICR
Serving Bournemouth, Poole, and Christchurch. Same-day minor remedials available. Certificate issued the same day.