Skip to content

Phone lines open 24 hours

Call 0115 778 0620
Electricians Nottingham

Unsatisfactory EICR? What to do next, step by step

The order to do things in, the deadlines for landlords, and the paperwork that proves the work is done.

Sources checked · Applies to England

In short: an unsatisfactory EICR means at least one C1 or C2 was found. Make sure any danger has been made safe, get the work quoted and done by a qualified person, keep the certificate for the work, and, if you're a landlord in England, send it with the report to your tenants within 28 days of finishing. The work itself must be done within 28 days of the inspection, or sooner if the report says.

Step 1: check what's actually wrong

Read section E (the summary) and the list of observations. Each one has a code:

  • C1: danger present. Should already have been made safe on the day.
  • C2: potentially dangerous. Needs fixing urgently.
  • FI: further investigation. Under the 2026 rules this doesn't fail the report on its own, but landlords still have to act on it (see our codes guide).
  • C3: improvement recommended. Optional, doesn't fail the report.

Also check the extent and limitations section. If parts of the installation couldn't be inspected, the report will say so.

Step 2: make sure anything dangerous is safe

If there was a C1, the inspector should have made it safe before leaving, for example by switching off and isolating a circuit, and recorded that on the report. If you're not sure that happened, ask them, and don't use anything that's been isolated.

Step 3: get the work quoted

You don't have to use the company that did the inspection. Any qualified person can carry out the remedial work. Send the full report, including the schedule of test results, so the quote covers each item. A good quote lists each C1, C2 and FI item separately, with C3 items shown as optional.

Step 4: know your deadline (landlords in England)

Under the 2020 regulations, private and social landlords must have remedial work, or further investigation the report requires, carried out by a qualified person:

  • within 28 days of the inspection, or
  • within the shorter period the report specifies.

Councils can impose penalties of up to £40,000 for breaches (GOV.UK guidance). If you can't get access, for example because a tenant refuses, keep records of every attempt. The regulations include a defence where a landlord has taken all reasonable steps.

Homeowners have no legal deadline, but C1 and C2 items are safety risks and should be dealt with promptly.

Step 5: get written confirmation that the work is done

The person who does the work should give you a certificate for it:

  • Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC): for new circuits or a consumer unit replacement. This work is also notifiable under Part P of the Building Regulations in England.
  • Minor Electrical Installation Works Certificate: for smaller repairs and alterations to existing circuits.

GOV.UK says the written confirmation can be one of these certificates, or a new satisfactory EICR. You don't automatically need a whole new EICR after remedial work.

Step 6: send the paperwork (landlords in England)

Within 28 days of the work being completed, give your tenants, and the council if it asks, the written confirmation together with the original report (the regulations, regulation 3). Keep everything for the next inspection.

Common questions

Can my tenants stay in the property?

Usually yes, once any C1 has been made safe. If a C1 has meant switching off an essential circuit such as heating, get it fixed as a priority.

Do I need another full EICR afterwards?

Not necessarily. The certificate for the remedial work is normally enough to show it's done, and the next full inspection is due on the date in the original report.

What if I disagree with a code?

Ask the inspector to explain. If you're still unsure, you can get a second opinion from another qualified inspector. Codes involve professional judgement.

Get a remedial quote · Remedial works

Call usBook online