An EICR fail — formally called an unsatisfactory result — does not mean your property is about to burn down. It means the inspection has identified one or more defects that require attention before the electrical installation meets the required standard under BS 7671. What you do next is legally prescribed: get it wrong, and you face fines up to £30,000 or the local authority carrying out the work at your expense.
This guide explains exactly what an unsatisfactory EICR means, the different condition codes, and the precise steps you must take.
What "Unsatisfactory" Actually Means
An EICR is given an overall result of either Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory. The report is unsatisfactory when the inspection finds one or more items coded C1 or C2. A C3 code alone does not make an EICR unsatisfactory — it is a recommendation for improvement, not a legal obligation.
An unsatisfactory EICR does not mean the property is immediately dangerous in every case. It means the installation does not currently comply with the standard, and remedial work is required. The urgency depends on the specific codes found.
The Condition Codes Explained
Every defect or observation in an EICR is assigned a condition code:
C1 — Danger Present The most serious code. There is an immediate risk of injury from electric shock or fire. Examples include exposed live conductors, missing earth connections on metalwork, or a completely absent RCD on a circuit supplying bathrooms or garden equipment. C1 defects require immediate action — you should not wait 28 days.
C2 — Potentially Dangerous Serious but not immediately dangerous. The installation has a fault that could become dangerous under certain conditions. Common C2 findings include an overloaded consumer unit, inadequate earth bonding to gas and water pipes, or circuits without RCD protection where current regulations require it. C2 defects must be remedied within 28 days.
C3 — Improvement Recommended Not a defect but an observation that the installation does not meet current best practice, even though it complied with the regulations that were in force when it was installed. A C3 does not make the EICR unsatisfactory. Landlords are not legally obliged to act on C3 codes, though doing so is sensible.
FI — Further Investigation Required The engineer was unable to complete a full assessment of a part of the installation and recommends further investigation. An FI code typically results in an unsatisfactory overall outcome until the investigation is complete.
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Book your EICR →What You Are Legally Required to Do After a Fail
The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 set out the following obligations when an EICR is unsatisfactory:
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Within 28 days of the inspection (or the period specified in the EICR if shorter): arrange for all C1 and C2 defects to be remedied by a qualified electrician.
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Within 28 days of the remedial work being completed: obtain written confirmation from the electrician that the defects have been fixed. This is typically a brief letter or certificate signed by the engineer.
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Within 28 days of receiving the confirmation: provide a copy of both the unsatisfactory EICR and the written confirmation of remedial work to your tenant.
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Within 7 days if the local housing authority requests it: supply all documentation.
The 28-day clock on remedial work starts from the date of the inspection, not the date you receive the written report. Do not wait until the PDF lands in your inbox before contacting an electrician.
Can You Rent Out a Property with a Failed EICR?
For new tenancies: no. You cannot grant a new tenancy while the EICR is unsatisfactory. The regulations require you to have a valid (satisfactory) EICR in place before a new tenant moves in.
For existing tenancies: you may continue the tenancy but must complete remedial work and provide written confirmation to the tenant within 28 days of the inspection. The tenancy is not automatically void — but failing to act within the 28-day window exposes you to enforcement action.
If a C1 defect is found during a tenancy, the morally and legally correct response is to act immediately. An immediate danger means your tenants are at real risk. Waiting 28 days for a C1 is neither appropriate nor, in practice, what the regulations intend.
Who Can Carry Out the Remedial Work?
Remedial work on fixed electrical installations must be carried out by a qualified electrician. It does not have to be the same engineer who carried out the EICR — any competent person registered with NICEIC or NAPIT can do the work.
In practice, many landlords use the same provider for both the inspection and the remedial work, which simplifies the paperwork. The written confirmation of remedial completion needs to reference the specific defects listed in the EICR, so it helps if the repairing electrician has seen the report.
Do You Need a New EICR After Remedial Work?
Not automatically. The regulations require written confirmation that the defects have been remedied — not a full new EICR. The confirmation must identify the specific defects and confirm they have been fixed.
However, in some cases a re-inspection is appropriate:
- If the EICR specified a re-inspection as part of the remedial requirements
- If extensive work was done and the engineer considers a re-test necessary
- If additional defects were discovered during the repair work
Where remedial work is straightforward — for example, replacing an absent earth bond or fitting an RCD — written confirmation from the engineer is sufficient. The written confirmation then forms part of your compliance record alongside the original EICR.
What Happens If You Do Not Fix the Defects?
The Electrical Safety Standards Regulations give local housing authorities enforcement powers where landlords fail to comply. If you have not carried out and evidenced remedial work within 28 days, the local authority can:
- Serve a remedial notice requiring the work to be done within 28 days
- Arrange the work themselves if you do not comply with the notice, and recover the cost from you
- Impose a financial penalty of up to £30,000 per breach
The penalties apply per property and per breach. A landlord with multiple non-compliant properties faces multiple penalties. Local authorities are increasingly active in enforcement: the number of electrical compliance notices issued has risen significantly since the regulations came into force in 2020.
How Long Does Remedial Work Typically Take?
This depends entirely on the nature of the defects:
Minor remedial work (1–3 hours): Absent earth bonding to gas and water pipes, missing insulation on accessible conductors, a single defective socket or switch. This type of work is typically completed in a single visit and is quoted at a few hundred pounds.
Moderate remedial work (half day): Fitting RCD protection to circuits that lack it, replacing a worn consumer unit, remedying inadequate circuit protection. A few hundred to £600–800 depending on the installation.
Major remedial work (full day or multi-day): Full rewire of part of the installation, replacement of degraded rubber-sheathed wiring in a Victorian property, complete consumer unit upgrade with full circuit protection. A full rewire of a 3-bedroom property in London typically costs £3,000–£6,000 depending on the property.
Common Defects Found in London Victorian Properties
The majority of London's rental stock consists of Victorian or Edwardian terraced houses that were not designed for modern electrical loads. Common C1 and C2 findings include:
- Rubber-insulated wiring from the 1960s and earlier, where the rubber has degraded and is no longer providing safe insulation
- Absent RCD protection — older rewirable fuse boards do not have RCDs, which are now required on circuits serving sockets, bathrooms, and garden equipment
- Inadequate earth bonding to gas and water services, particularly where the original earthing point has been disturbed by plumbing work
- Overloaded circuits where modern appliances are drawing more current than the original wiring can safely carry
- Missing or damaged socket faceplates creating exposed live parts
A property with a full complement of these issues may require a full consumer unit replacement and partial rewire. This is expensive but unavoidable — and the alternative is a fine of up to £30,000 and an unsafe property for your tenants.
Getting Your Property Back to Satisfactory
Once remedial work is complete, the process is straightforward:
- Obtain written confirmation from the electrician (on headed paper or official certificate, signed, listing the specific defects addressed)
- Provide a copy to your tenant alongside the original unsatisfactory EICR
- Keep copies in your compliance file
- Book your next EICR for five years from the inspection date (or sooner if the EICR specifies)
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