An Unsatisfactory EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report) means the inspector found at least one C1 (danger present), C2 (potentially dangerous) or FI (further investigation required) observation. For a rented home in England the landlord must have those items fixed or investigated within 28 days under the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020, obtain written confirmation from a qualified person, and pass it to the tenant and (on request) the council, or risk a fine of up to £30,000. Owner-occupiers and businesses have no fixed deadline but the same safety reasoning applies.
- Unsatisfactory is a finding about the installation, not a verdict on the property. Most are fixable in a day.
- C1 items must be made safe now; C2 and FI within 28 days for rented homes in England.
- The fix is proved with a Minor Works certificate or EIC, not usually a whole new EICR.
- The remedial certificate should reference the original EICR observations item by item.
- Keep everything: the EICR, the remedial certificates, the notification to the tenant and the dates.
What does "unsatisfactory" actually mean?
The overall assessment on page 1 of an EICR is Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory. The rule, from BS 7671 Chapter 65 and IET Guidance Note 3, is that any C1, C2 or FI observation makes the report Unsatisfactory; C3 (improvement recommended) items do not. The full coding scheme with examples is in EICR codes explained.
Unsatisfactory does not mean the property must be vacated, that a rewire is needed, or that every item must be fixed; only C1, C2 and FI items are required. A common Unsatisfactory domestic report has one or two C2s (missing main bonding, no RCD on sockets that could feed outdoor equipment, a damaged accessory) and a handful of C3s. The C2s are typically a few hours' work.
What should the electrician do on the day?
C1: make safe and notify
A C1 means someone could be injured now. GN3 expects the inspector to take action before leaving site. In practice:
- Make the danger safe if it can be done immediately and with the client's agreement, for example by isolating the circuit, fitting a blank, or disconnecting the faulty accessory.
- If it cannot be made safe, isolate the affected circuit and label it.
- Tell the person ordering the work and, in a rented property, the occupier, in writing on the day. A text or email is fine; note the time.
- Record on the report what was found, what was done and what remains to be done.
Some scheme operators provide a "dangerous condition notification" form for this; using it gives the client a document separate from the report, which may take a day or two to arrive.
C2 and FI: explain and quote
Walk the client through each C2 and FI item and roughly what the fix involves. Quote remedial work separately from the inspection fee, and be clear which items are required (C1, C2, FI) and which are recommended (C3); the split maps onto the 28-day duty.
What must a landlord do within 28 days?
The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 set the sequence:
| Step | Deadline | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Receive the EICR | Immediately after inspection | Full report with schedules, not a summary. |
| Give a copy to the tenant | Within 28 days of the inspection | Keep proof of delivery. |
| Complete remedial work or further investigation | Within 28 days of the inspection, or sooner if the report says | Must be done by a qualified person. |
| Obtain written confirmation | On completion | That the work was done and the standards are now met. |
| Give confirmation to the tenant | Within 28 days of completing the work | With the original EICR if not already supplied. |
| Give confirmation to the council | Within 28 days of completing the work | If the council requested the EICR, or on request. |
If the council serves a remedial notice, the landlord has 28 days from the notice to comply. Failure at any step can attract a civil penalty of up to £30,000. The full landlord picture, including Scotland, Wales and social housing, is in EICR landlord requirements 2026.
Which certificate proves the remedial work?
This is the question electricians and agents ask most. The Regulations require "written confirmation from a qualified person that the further investigative or remedial work has been carried out and that the electrical safety standards are met". They do not say which form. In practice:
| Remedial work | Certificate to issue | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Main or supplementary bonding installed | Minor Works | Record the bonding continuity result. |
| Damaged accessory replaced | Minor Works | One certificate can list several accessories on the same circuit; separate circuits need separate entries or certificates. |
| RCBO fitted in place of an MCB, existing board | Minor Works | Record RCD test results. Some electricians issue an EIC because the board has been altered; either is defensible. |
| Consumer unit replaced | EIC | Full schedules for every circuit. Notifiable under Part P. |
| New circuit installed to replace a dangerous one | EIC | Notifiable under Part P. |
| Cable rerouted or replaced on an existing circuit, no new circuit | Minor Works | Retest the circuit. |
| Polarity corrected at an accessory | Minor Works | Record polarity confirmation and Zs. |
| Borrowed neutral separated | Minor Works or EIC | Depends on whether a new circuit results; test both circuits. |
| FI investigation, fault found and fixed | Certificate for the fix, plus a written note clearing the FI | The note references the EICR item number. |
| FI investigation, no fault found | Written statement from the investigating electrician | Explain what was investigated and why no danger exists; the observation can then be recoded. |
| Extensive remedial work across many circuits | Fresh EICR | Cleaner for the client than a stack of Minor Works certificates. |
The confirmation should reference the original EICR: date, report number and each observation item with what was done. A one-page "remedial works schedule" listing "Item 3, C2, missing main bonding to gas: 10 mm² bonding conductor installed, continuity 0.02 Ω, Minor Works cert 1234" does the job; a Minor Works certificate with no link to the EICR leaves the agent to guess.
When to use each certificate type is covered in EICR vs EIC: what's the difference.
Do you need a re-inspection or a new EICR?
Not usually. The Regulations are satisfied by written confirmation from a qualified person, and a Minor Works or EIC for the work is that confirmation. A completely new EICR is appropriate when:
- The remedial work was extensive (board change plus several circuits), so a single Satisfactory report is clearer.
- The original inspector's limitations were significant and the client wants a fuller picture.
- The letting agent or council specifically asks for a Satisfactory EICR rather than remedial certificates. Some do, and it is easier to provide one than to argue.
- The original report is from a different contractor and you are not prepared to endorse it.
Some inspectors issue a reissued EICR after the remedial work with the fixed observations annotated and the assessment changed to Satisfactory. GN3 does not describe this practice and it is easy to do badly. If you reissue, keep the original intact, date the reissue, list what changed and why, and keep both on file. Never change codes to make a report Satisfactory without the work having been done and documented.
What if the landlord will not do the work?
For the electrician: you have done your job by issuing an accurate report and, for any C1, making it safe and notifying in writing. Keep your copy, photographs and notification. If asked to change codes without the work being done, decline; your scheme registration and signature are on the line.
For the tenant: report it to the council's private sector housing team, which can serve a remedial notice, arrange urgent remedial action for C1-type dangers, and issue financial penalties. The EICR is the evidence.
How should everything be documented?
Documentation is what turns "we fixed it" into compliance. The complete set for an Unsatisfactory report that has been remedied is:
- The original EICR, complete with schedule of inspections and schedule of test results.
- Danger notification for any C1, with date and time it was sent.
- Quote and instruction for the remedial work (shows the 28-day process was started).
- Remedial certificates: Minor Works and/or EIC, with test results for the circuits worked on.
- Remedial works schedule or covering letter mapping each EICR observation to what was done.
- Part P compliance certificate from the scheme, where the remedial work was notifiable.
- Proof of supply to the tenant (email or signed receipt) for both the EICR and the confirmation.
- Council correspondence, if any.
Store the lot with the property records and hand it to the next inspector; it is the first thing an assessor, insurer or tribunal will ask for.
What about C3 items?
C3 items do not have to be fixed, but should not be ignored. A typical C3 list on an older property (no RCD on indoor sockets, plastic consumer unit, missing circuit chart) describes where the installation sits relative to current BS 7671, and each is a candidate C2 at the next inspection if conditions change (a socket that starts feeding a garden pressure washer, for example). A consumer unit change clears most of them in one job, and its EIC resets the inspection clock.
How Certio helps
Certio produces the EICR, EIC, Minor Works certificate and PAT records on the BS 7671 model forms and turns them into branded PDFs. Photograph the consumer unit and the circuit schedule drafts itself; point the phone camera at a Megger MFT-X1 and the reading goes straight into the schedule of test results, or dictate it while your hands stay on the probes. Suggested observation wording with the regulation reference is there for you to check and confirm. The judgement stays yours; the typing goes. Starter is free for 7 days, then £5 a month.