What to do after an unsatisfactory EICR in a rented home in England

Read the full Electrical Installation Condition Report, or EICR, rather than relying on its expiry date. If it identifies C1 or C2 observations or marks further investigation as FI, arrange the necessary work by a qualified person within 28 days or a shorter period specified in the report. Treat immediate danger as an immediate safety issue and ask the qualified person how the installation is made safe and what restrictions apply while work is arranged.

After remedial or investigative work, obtain written confirmation from the qualified person and provide the report and confirmation to the tenant and local council within the required period. Store the evidence against the correct property and track any remaining action. Current GOV.UK guidance for England explains the C1, C2, C3 and FI codes, the remedial-work deadline, and the duty to provide written confirmation after work. It also says the 2020 regulations were amended in 2025 to extend relevant duties to the social rented sector. GOV.UK: electrical safety standards in the private and social rented sectors, sections 1, 3 and 5.

This page owns the post-report decision and evidence chain, not the ordinary five-year diary for the next inspection. It is not an electrical diagnosis or a substitute for advice from a qualified electrician. Different rules apply outside England and to premises excluded from these regulations. A managing agent should verify the tenancy and dutyholder facts before applying the workflow.

Check the report and the property before setting a deadline

Confirm the report identifies the correct address, installation and inspection date. Check the inspector’s qualifications and the date it recommends for the next inspection. Read its observations, codes, limitations and overall outcome. An upload labelled “EICR complete” can still contain an unsatisfactory result. A property dashboard that sees only a future expiry date may make a dangerous installation look green.

The GOV.UK guidance says the electrical installation should be inspected and tested by a qualified person at least every five years, with a report that states the result and next inspection date. A shorter period can be specified. It also lists when copies must be supplied to existing, new and prospective tenants and to the council on request. GOV.UK: electrical safety guidance, section 3.

Check whether the tenancy falls within the regulations. The current guidance says they apply to landlords where the tenant has a right to occupy the home as their only or main residence and pays rent, subject to listed exclusions. Do not apply the page mechanically to a holiday let, student hall, long lease or healthcare accommodation without examining the actual legal scope. Social housing is now included, with phased commencement and transitional arrangements described in the guidance. GOV.UK: electrical safety guidance, sections 1, 2 and 8.

Do not confuse the installation with supplied equipment

An EICR concerns the fixed electrical installation. The 2025 extension also imposes checks on electrical equipment supplied by social landlords under the tenancy, with a separate record and duties when it is unsafe. A private landlord’s appliance duties should not be described as identical to that specific social-landlord equipment-check regime. This page focuses on an unsatisfactory installation report and flags the supplied-equipment branch where relevant. GOV.UK: electrical safety guidance, sections 3 and 4.

Understand the codes without practising electrical engineering

The report’s classification directs the next management step. GOV.UK describes C1 as danger present with risk of injury, C2 as potentially dangerous, FI as further investigation required without delay, and C3 as improvement recommended. C1 and C2 require remedial work, and FI requires investigation. C3 alone does not require remedial work for the report to be deemed satisfactory, though the recommendation can still be sensible to consider. GOV.UK: electrical safety guidance, section 3.

Do not reclassify a code to simplify property administration. The qualified person who inspected the installation must explain what the observation means and what needs doing. If a report contains FI, the first job may be further investigation before the full remedial scope is known. An agent should ask how the area is made safe while that investigation happens and how the deadline is managed, not leave FI as an undefined “monitor” action.

C1 is particularly important. A legal outer deadline does not mean a dangerous condition can be left in service for 28 days. GOV.UK says the inspector may make a C1 hazard safe before leaving the premises, and the landlord should obtain clear written advice on any isolation or restriction and act promptly. The exact electrical method belongs to the qualified person. GOV.UK: electrical safety guidance, section 3.

Set the two clocks correctly

The first clock runs from the report or record showing that remedial or further investigative work is required: complete that work within 28 days or a shorter period specified as necessary. The second clock concerns evidence after the work: within 28 days of completing the remedial or further investigative work, provide the tenant and local council with the report and written confirmation from the qualified person. These are not the same administrative event. GOV.UK: electrical safety guidance, sections 3 and 5.

Record the report date, any shorter stated deadline, the work completion date and the evidence-sending deadline. Give each an owner. A single “EICR expiry” field cannot reliably manage this sequence. If access, parts or another issue delays work, escalate before the deadline and obtain legal and electrical advice. Do not silently reset the date in the system or describe a contractor booking as completion.

The qualified person’s report may specify a shorter period, and urgent conditions may require immediate restriction for safety. A portfolio process should therefore show the actual observation and qualified person’s advice, not assume every unsatisfactory report can sit in a uniform 28-day queue. Prioritise properties by danger and practical control, while preserving the legal time limit.

A simple date example

An EICR dated 3 October identifies C2 and specifies work within 14 days. The manager records the 14-day limit rather than defaulting to 28 days, books the qualified electrician, tells the tenant what access and interim safety arrangements are needed, and tracks actual completion. If work is completed on 12 October, the manager then obtains the qualified person’s written confirmation and sends the required report and confirmation within the post-work period. Dates are illustrative, so compute real deadlines from the actual report and applicable law.

Make the installation safe while work is arranged

Ask the qualified person whether any circuit or equipment should be isolated, whether the tenant can continue using the home safely, and what instructions must be given. Record the advice and communicate it in plain language. If a circuit is isolated, explain which sockets, lights or services are unavailable and whom the tenant should contact if the position changes. Do not ask a property manager to improvise electrical temporary measures.

Consider practical consequences. Loss of lighting, heating, cooking, refrigeration or a smoke-alarm supply can create further risk. A repair plan may need alternative arrangements or a different accommodation decision, with professional and legal input. Do not assume a property remains safely occupied because the only visible action is a code on a report. The landlord’s task is to coordinate safety, access and qualified work, not to overrule the inspector’s technical judgement.

Keep a record of tenant contact and actual access attempts. If the tenant is unavailable, promptly arrange a workable appointment and seek advice on the legal route for access. Do not treat a sent email as proof that the safety duty is satisfied. If another party controls part of the installation, identify them and coordinate action. A managing agent should tell the landlord and any relevant building controller what is required and who will confirm closure.

Appoint the right person and define the work

Use a qualified person competent for the inspection, investigation and remedial work. Give them the EICR, observations, property details and any limitations. Ask them to distinguish immediate make-safe action, investigation, permanent remedial work and further testing. Confirm whether the scope covers every C1, C2 and FI observation or whether a later visit is still required. A quote for one item should not be marked as full compliance if the report lists three.

GOV.UK requires a qualified person to conduct inspection and test and written confirmation from the qualified person who undertook remedial or investigative work. It lists a satisfactory EICR, an Electrical Installation Certificate, a Minor Electrical Installation Works Certificate or other appropriate electrical certification as possible written confirmation. The electrician determines which document is technically appropriate to the work, and an agent should not demand a new full EICR automatically for every minor repair. GOV.UK: electrical safety guidance, sections 3 and 5.

If FI reveals a further defect, update the scope and safety decision immediately. Record what was investigated, what was found, what remains and which qualified person will complete it. Do not close FI as “investigated” if the result identifies unresolved remedial work. Obtain professional advice on how the statutory timetable applies to the developed findings, especially where work cannot be completed promptly.

Verify closure against every observation

At completion, compare the electrician’s written confirmation with the original EICR line by line. Does it identify the property, date, electrician, work done and codes or observations addressed? Does it say the installation is safe for continued use or specify a remaining limitation? Is further investigation still open? Has a temporary isolation been replaced by a permanent remedy or clearly documented as an ongoing restriction? Ask the qualified person to clarify ambiguous language.

The landlord or agent should not invent a new technical judgement. Their verification is that the qualified evidence covers the required work and that the report, tenant communication and council handover are complete. A “job completed” status from a trade platform may show the visit happened while a certificate is still missing. Keep those states separate. Store the original EICR, any investigation report, remedial certificate and delivery evidence against the same property and date.

If the qualified person recommends additional C3 improvements, record them separately. GOV.UK says C3 does not by itself require remedial work for a satisfactory report, but it may inform planned improvement. Do not mark a legal remedial duty incomplete solely because an optional C3 upgrade remains, nor discard a useful safety recommendation because it is not compulsory under this particular rule. GOV.UK: electrical safety guidance, section 3.

Send the right records to the tenant and council

The current guidance says the existing tenant receives the inspection report within 28 days of inspection. New tenants receive it before occupation, prospective tenants receive it within 28 days of a request, and the local council receives the report within seven days of a request. After remedial or investigative work, the tenant and local council receive the report and the qualified person’s written confirmation within 28 days of completion. GOV.UK: electrical safety guidance, sections 3 and 5.

Record what was sent, to whom, when and by what method. The tenant should understand any continuing restriction in a usable message, not only receive an attachment with technical codes. The council submission should include the specified documents rather than an unsupported statement that works are completed. If an agent sends on behalf of the landlord, keep evidence of that action and make sure the landlord can access it later.

Be careful with a new tenancy while an unsatisfactory report is unresolved. The landlord needs a qualified view of safety and to meet the applicable duties before occupancy. A valid date on the EICR is not enough if it identifies work needed. Do not publish a simplistic rule that a property can always be let during the 28-day period, and obtain legal and electrical advice for the actual facts.

The social rented sector adds a separate equipment branch

The 2025 amendments brought social landlords into the installation regime and added checks for electrical equipment they provide under a tenancy. Current GOV.UK guidance says social landlords must have that equipment checked by a qualified person at least every five years, obtain an In-service Inspection and Testing of Electrical Equipment record, known as ISIT, and act when equipment is unsafe for continued use. It describes immediate tenant information and repair or replacement as soon as reasonably practicable, no later than 28 days after the check. GOV.UK: electrical safety guidance, section 4.

Do not merge the ISIT record into the EICR field. One covers supplied equipment, and the other covers the fixed installation. A social landlord may need to track both, with different assets and evidence. The guidance also gives transitional dates for older social tenancies, including initial inspection and check deadlines, so verify the actual tenancy and current law before applying them. GOV.UK: electrical safety guidance, section 8.

This page’s main decision tree concerns an unsatisfactory installation EICR. A separate social-landlord supplied-equipment guide could be justified if live search demand and product capability show a distinct audience. Do not create a simple private or social substitution page, because the duties genuinely differ and need a different evidence model.

Two worked examples

C2 observation in a private rented flat

A qualified electrician reports a C2 observation and an unsatisfactory EICR. The managing agent checks the actual report and deadline, asks the electrician what immediate restriction or make-safe action is needed, informs the landlord and tenant, and commissions the remedial work. The electrician issues appropriate written confirmation covering the C2 observation. The agent compares it with the report, sends the required evidence to the tenant and council within the post-work period, and records delivery. The next periodic inspection date remains separate from the remedial action’s closure.

The agent’s role is to coordinate and verify the evidence chain, not to decide that a potentially dangerous electrical condition can remain in use because the outer deadline has not expired.

FI leads to a second visit in social housing

An EICR on a social rented home includes FI. The landlord arranges further investigation without delay and asks the qualified person how the area is kept safe. The investigation identifies a defect requiring remedial work and a second visit. The property record links the original report, investigation result, work order, temporary restriction and qualified confirmation. The landlord sends the documents required by the regulations after completion. An unrelated supplied cooker has its own equipment-check record, and it is not treated as part of the installation EICR merely because it is in the same home.

Common mistakes

• Treating an unsatisfactory report as a future expiry. Read codes and action requirements now. A five-year date cannot make an unresolved C2 or FI safe.
• Turning 28 days into a safe waiting period for C1. Ask the qualified person what must be made safe immediately and follow the shorter period if the report specifies one.
• Ignoring FI because no repair is yet specified. Further investigation is itself required and may reveal remedial work.
• Treating C3 as a statutory unsatisfactory outcome on its own. GOV.UK describes it as an improvement recommendation, so consider it but keep the legal classification accurate.
• Closing a job on the trade’s visit date. Obtain and compare written qualified confirmation before declaring the action complete.
• Forgetting the council handover. The current guidance requires report and written confirmation to tenant and local council after remedial work, so track evidence of sending.
• Confusing an installation report with a social-landlord equipment record. Track the two asset categories and their documents separately.
• Applying England rules across the UK. Electrical safety regimes and tenancy scopes differ elsewhere, so do a jurisdiction-specific review.

FAQs

Sources

• GOV.UK: electrical safety standards in the private and social rented sectors
• GOV.UK: Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector, England, Amendment, Extension to the Social Rented Sector, Regulations 2025

Related: EICR tracking software, property compliance software, and the UK property compliance checklist.