Your EICR has landed in your inbox, it says "Unsatisfactory" in bold near the top, and underneath there is a list of observations tagged C2, C2 and C3. Before you panic or reach for the cheapest quote, it helps to know exactly what those letters mean, which ones legally force you to act, and how long you have got to sort them out.
EICR codes explained: the four you will see
An Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) records the condition of the fixed wiring, consumer unit, sockets and switches in your property. A qualified inspector tests the installation and writes an observation for each defect they find, then attaches a classification code to it. There are four codes, and they are not opinions - they map to a national standard used by every competent electrician.
| Code | What it means | Effect on the report |
|---|---|---|
| C1 | Danger present. Risk of injury, live parts exposed or similar. | Unsatisfactory. Make safe immediately. |
| C2 | Potentially dangerous. Could become a real risk. | Unsatisfactory. Remedial work required. |
| FI | Further investigation required, without delay. | Unsatisfactory. Investigate, then fix. |
| C3 | Improvement recommended. Not dangerous as it stands. | Satisfactory. Work is optional. |
The single most useful thing to understand is this: a C3 does not fail your installation. Only C1, C2 and FI do.
C1 - danger present
A C1 is the serious one. It means someone could get an electric shock or burn right now, for example exposed live conductors or a broken socket with wiring on show. A competent electrician should make a C1 defect safe on the spot during the inspection, often by isolating the circuit, and note that they have done so.
C2 - potentially dangerous
Most "unsatisfactory" reports fail on C2s. The defect is not live-and-lethal today, but it is one fault away from becoming dangerous, for example no RCD protection on socket circuits, or inadequate earthing and bonding. These are the items you will spend most of your remedial budget on.
FI - further investigation
FI means the inspector found something that needs a closer look before it can be classified properly, for example a circuit they could not fully trace. It counts as unsatisfactory until the investigation is done and any resulting work completed.
C3 - improvement recommended
A C3 is advisory. The installation meets an older but still acceptable standard. You are free to leave a C3 alone and your report still passes.
Which codes make an installation "unsatisfactory"
Put simply: any C1, C2 or FI makes the report unsatisfactory. A report with nothing worse than C3s is satisfactory and you have no legal work to do.
So a report listing "C2, C2, C3" is unsatisfactory because of the two C2s. The C3 is irrelevant to the pass or fail. Read the summary line, then scan the observations for those three codes only.
The 28-day remedial deadline
Since 1 June 2020 for new tenancies, and 1 April 2021 for all existing tenancies in England, landlords must keep the electrical installation safe under the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020. The installation must be inspected and tested at least every five years.
Where a report is unsatisfactory, the rule is precise. You must carry out the remedial or further investigative work within 28 days of the inspection, or sooner if the report specifies a shorter period. Then you must get written confirmation from the electrician that the work is done and the installation now meets the standard, and supply that confirmation to your tenants (within 28 days of the work finishing) and to the local authority (within 28 days).
The government's guidance for landlords sets this out in full. Note the deadline runs from the inspection date, not from the day you happened to open the email.
Worked example: the 28-day clock
Say your inspection happens on Monday 1 June 2026 and the report comes back unsatisfactory with two C2s.
- 1 June - inspection date. The 28-day clock starts now.
- By 29 June - remedial work must be complete. That is your hard deadline.
- Within 28 days of completion - you send the written confirmation of completion to the tenant and, on request, to the local authority.
If the report had said "remedial work required within 14 days" for a particular item, that shorter period wins for that item. Always check the report for a stated deadline before assuming you have the full 28 days.
What the fixes typically involve (illustrative example)
Costs vary by region, property and electrician, so treat the figures below as an illustrative worked example rather than a quote. Imagine a two-bed flat that came back with these C2s:
| Observation (C2) | Illustrative remedial cost |
|---|---|
| No RCD protection on socket circuits | £250 (upgrade consumer unit) |
| Missing main protective bonding to water pipe | £90 |
| Damaged double socket in kitchen | £45 |
| Total remedial spend | £385 |
Add the EICR itself, and you can see why budgeting a few hundred pounds per property, per five-year cycle, is sensible. Padlord lets you log the EICR expiry date against each property so the next one never creeps up on you, but the maths above is the part worth planning for.
Should you bother with C3s?
You are not obliged to, and your report passes either way. That said, a C3 today can drift into a C2 at the next inspection as the installation ages. If a C3 is cheap to clear while the electrician is already on site, clearing it can save a second call-out and a re-test in five years. Treat it as good housekeeping, not a legal duty.
Get the deadline wrong and the bill grows
Local authorities can act if you miss the standards. Under the 2020 Regulations they can arrange for the remedial work themselves and impose a financial penalty of up to £30,000 for a breach. Set against a few hundred pounds of remedial work, ignoring an unsatisfactory report is a poor trade.
England only - the rest of the UK differs
The 28-day rule and the £30,000 penalty above apply to England. Scotland requires an EICR every five years under separate housing rules, and Wales handles electrical safety through the Renting Homes (Wales) Act framework. If your property is outside England, check the rules for that nation rather than assuming the English deadlines apply.
The one-page version
- Four codes: C1 (danger now), C2 (potentially dangerous), FI (investigate), C3 (advisory).
- C1, C2 or FI makes the report unsatisfactory. C3 alone still passes.
- Fix unsatisfactory items within 28 days of the inspection, or sooner if the report says so.
- Get written confirmation and pass it to your tenant and, on request, the council.
- C3s are optional but worth clearing when it is cheap to do so.
This is general information, not tax or financial advice. Electrical rules and penalties change, so check the current gov.uk guidance and use a qualified, competent electrician for the inspection and any remedial work.
