EPC, Fire Risk, Asbestos & EICR: The Complete Property Compliance Guide for Cardiff & Vale of Glamorgan Landlords
If you own, let or manage a property in Cardiff, Barry, Penarth or the Vale of Glamorgan, you're likely being asked for one of four certificates: an EPC, a Fire Risk Assessment, an Asbestos Survey, or an EICR. Each one covers a different legal requirement, has its own validity period, and applies to different types of property — which makes it easy to lose track of exactly what you need and when.
This guide walks through all four services in plain English, so you can work out what applies to your property before you book anything.
1. Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)
What it is: a rating from A to G of how energy efficient a property is, based on its heating, insulation, glazing and layout.
Who needs one: anyone selling or letting a residential property. Estate agents and letting agents will usually ask for a valid EPC before they'll market a property.
Validity: 10 years, or sooner if the property has changed significantly. Cost: from £50. A qualified Domestic Energy Assessor visits the property, and your certificate is typically lodged on the official UK EPC register and sent digitally within 24 hours.
2. Fire Risk Assessment (FRA)
What it is: a structured inspection that identifies fire hazards and the people at risk in a building, with a written action plan to address them.
Who needs one: under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, anyone responsible for an HMO, a block of flats' communal areas, commercial premises, or care and guest accommodation. Cardiff Council requires a current FRA as part of HMO licensing. Single-let domestic properties aren't legally required to have one, but many landlord insurance policies now expect it.
Validity: best practice is to review annually, or sooner after any material change such as a refurbishment, new HMO tenants, or altered fire doors and escape routes. Cost: from £149, with on-site inspection taking 45 minutes to 4 hours and a written report delivered within 48 hours.
3. Asbestos Survey
What it is: an on-site survey and sampling exercise that identifies asbestos-containing materials in a building and assesses the risk they pose.
Who needs one: under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, anyone responsible for non-domestic premises built before 2000, HMOs and communal areas of flats, or a property about to undergo renovation, refurbishment or demolition. Landlords also have an ongoing duty to manage asbestos risk under Regulation 4.
There are two types. A Management Survey identifies asbestos-containing materials during normal use without being intrusive — ideal for keeping an asbestos register up to date. A Refurbishment or Demolition Survey is fully intrusive and required before any building work that could disturb the fabric of the building.
Cost: from £169. Allow 30-60 minutes on site for a single residential property; samples go to a UKAS-accredited lab, with your written report delivered in 3-5 working days.
4. EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report)
What it is: a full inspection and test of a property's fixed electrical installation — sockets, lighting circuits, the consumer unit, and earthing and bonding — checked against BS 7671 wiring regulations.
Who needs one: landlords, including HMO landlords for whom it's a licensing condition, homeowners carrying out routine safety checks, and commercial premises. It's also increasingly required by mortgage lenders, letting agents and insurers, and supports the fitness-for-human-habitation duty under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016.
Report codes: C1 means danger present and requires immediate action, C2 means potentially dangerous and requires urgent remedial work, C3 is an improvement that's recommended but not required, and FI means further investigation is needed. Any C1 or C2 makes the report unsatisfactory until the work is done.
Validity: 5 years for rented properties, 10 years for an owner-occupied home, unless the report specifies an earlier retest. Cost: from £120, with 2-4 hours on site for a residential property and longer for HMOs and commercial premises.
So which certificates does your property actually need?
Selling or letting a single residential property: an EPC is a legal must-have. An EICR is increasingly expected by lenders and insurers even though it isn't yet a blanket legal requirement for single lets.
Running an HMO: an EPC, Fire Risk Assessment and EICR are all licensing requirements in Cardiff. Add an Asbestos Survey if the property was built before 2000.
Managing a block of flats: a Fire Risk Assessment and Asbestos Survey (for pre-2000 builds) cover the communal areas, alongside an EPC for each individual flat when it's sold or let.
Commercial premises: a Fire Risk Assessment and EICR are essentials, plus an Asbestos Survey for pre-2000 buildings and an EPC if you're selling or letting the unit.
Planning a renovation or demolition: a Refurbishment or Demolition Asbestos Survey should come before any work starts on a building built before 2000.
One accredited team, four services
We're a team of accredited assessors covering Cardiff, Barry, Penarth and the wider Vale of Glamorgan, including Dinas Powys, Sully, Rhoose, Cowbridge and Llantwit Major. All our EPCs, Fire Risk Assessments, Asbestos Surveys and EICRs are carried out by qualified, accredited assessors, with clear pricing agreed before you book and digital reports sent as soon as the work is complete.
Because most landlords end up needing more than one of these certificates, we offer £30 off when you book any two services together — for example an EPC alongside an EICR, or a Fire Risk Assessment alongside an Asbestos Survey for an HMO.
Ready to book, or still not sure what you need? Call us on 02921 690239, message us on WhatsApp, or use the contact form and we'll confirm exactly which certificates apply to your property before you pay for anything.