Gas and electrical work in Norwich
More than one Norwich household in five rents its home from the council. Across England it is fewer than one in ten. [1]
Facts checked against their sources on 2 October 2026.
Norwich against England, 2021 Census
Share of households. Each bar runs from 0 to 100%.
Who owns the home
What kind of home
HMO licensing in Norwich
- Norwich City Council licenses houses in multiple occupation with five or more people under the national mandatory scheme. Its HMO licensing policy, adopted in July 2022, says it does not currently run additional licensing. [4, 5]
- An HMO licence application must include servicing information and safety certificates for the gas appliances, the electrical installation and the fire detection system. A licence runs for 1, 3 or 5 years, and normally 5 where the council has no concerns. [5]
- A report to the council's scrutiny committee on 6 August 2026 counted 910 licensed HMOs in the city. It said the evidence could support consulting on licensing 3 and 4 person HMOs across the city, and on selective licensing in up to four wards: Nelson, Mile Cross, Town Close and Sewell. A scheme would need a public consultation of at least 10 weeks first. [6]
Landlord gas and electrical checks
The same across England.
Gas safety check [7, 8]
- Covers
- Each gas appliance and flue the landlord provides
- How often
- At least every 12 months
- Done by
- A Gas Safe registered engineer
- Tenant gets a copy
- Within 28 days of the check
Electrical inspection and test [9]
- Covers
- The electrical installation
- How often
- At least every 5 years, or sooner if the last report says so
- Done by
- A qualified person
- Tenant gets a copy
- Within 28 days of the check
Electrical work and building control
- In England, a new circuit, a replacement consumer unit, or an addition or alteration to a circuit in a special location needs a building notice or a full plans application. That is not needed when the work is done by someone registered with a competent person scheme for it, or checked by an approved third party certifier. [10]
- Work that does go to building control in Norwich goes to CNC Building Control, a partnership of five councils' building control teams: South Norfolk, Norwich City, Broadland, King's Lynn and West Norfolk, and Fenland. Its Norwich office serves the east. [11]
Training
- City College Norwich runs Level 3 apprenticeships for installation and maintenance electricians and for plumbing and domestic heating technicians, each over 4 years, and a 3 year low carbon heating technician apprenticeship, all at its Norwich campus. [12]
Jobs on CertBox Jobs
Sources
- 1ONS Census 2021, table TS054 Tenure (Nomis)Norwich (E07000148): 64,457 households; rents from council or local authority 14,240 (22.1%); private rented 17,351 (26.9%). England: rents from council 8.3%, private rented 20.5%.
- 2ONS Census 2021, table TS044 Accommodation type (Nomis)Norwich: purpose-built flats 19,471 (30.2%); terraced 20,606 (32.0%). England: purpose-built flats 17.1%, terraced 23.0%.
- 3ONS Census 2021, table TS046 Central heating (Nomis)Norwich: mains gas only 48,786 of 64,459 households (75.7%); district or communal heat networks only 1,573 (2.4%). England: mains gas only 74.0%, heat networks only 0.9%.
- 4Norwich City Council, About houses in multiple occupation (HMOs)A property home to five or more people must be licensed under the national mandatory scheme; the council keeps a public register.
- 5Norwich City Council, HMO Licensing Policy, adopted July 2022 (PDF)Paragraph 2.2: no additional licensing at present. Application contents: servicing information and safety certification for gas appliances, the electrical installation and the fire detection system. Paragraph 14.1: licences for 1, 3 or 5 years, normally 5.
- 6Norwich City Council, Scrutiny Committee 6 August 2026, Private Rented Sector Housing in Norwich (PDF)Paragraph 86: 910 mandatory HMO premises licensed. Paragraph 92: the council could consult on city-wide additional licensing for 3 to 4 person HMOs; up to four wards (Nelson, Mile Cross, Town Close, Sewell) may meet selective licensing criteria. Paragraph 100(iv): statutory consultation of at least 10 weeks.
- 7Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, regulation 36Paragraph (3)(a): safety check at intervals of not more than 12 months. Paragraph (6)(a): copy to each existing tenant within 28 days.
- 8HSE, Gas safety: landlords and letting agents FAQAnnual gas safety check carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
- 9Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020, regulation 3Paragraph (1)(b) and (2): inspection and testing by a qualified person at intervals of no more than 5 years, or earlier if the last report requires. Paragraph (3)(b): copy to each existing tenant within 28 days.
- 10Building Regulations 2010, regulation 12Paragraph (6A): new circuit, consumer unit replacement, or work on circuits in a special location needs a building notice or full plans application. Paragraph (6): not needed for Schedule 3 competent person work or Schedule 3A third party certifier work (England).
- 11CNC Building Control, About usPartnership of 5 local authority building control departments: South Norfolk, Norwich City, Broadland, King's Lynn and West Norfolk, and Fenland. Norwich office serves the east, Wisbech office the west.
- 12City College Norwich, ApprenticeshipsInstallation and Maintenance Electrician, Level 3, 4 years; Plumbing and Domestic Heating Technician, Level 3, 4 years; Low Carbon Heating Technician, Level 3, 3 years; each delivered at the City College Norwich campus.