The short answer
For a privately rented home in England, the landlord must carry out any remedial or further investigative work within 28 days of the EICR — or sooner if the report specifies a shorter period — and provide written confirmation to the tenant and local authority. This 28-day rule applies to C1, C2 and FI coded items (the ones that make a report unsatisfactory); C3 improvement recommendations are not covered. A C1 (danger present) demands action well inside that window because of the immediate risk. For owner-occupiers there is no statutory deadline, but C1 and C2 faults are genuine safety risks and should be addressed promptly.
The deadline people mean by this question is the landlord 28-day rule, which is set by regulation. The sections below set out what it covers, what does not count, and where owner-occupiers stand.
Remedial timeframes
- Rented (England)28 days, or sooner if stated
- Applies toC1, C2 and FI items
- C3 itemsNot covered
- ConfirmationWritten, to tenant & council
- Owner-occupierNo statutory deadline
The landlord 28-day rule
The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 require landlords of most private rented homes in England to have the electrical installation inspected and tested at least every five years, and at the start of a new tenancy. Where the resulting EICR is unsatisfactory, the landlord must:
- Carry out the remedial or further investigative work within 28 days of the inspection — or within any shorter period the report specifies.
- Obtain written confirmation from a qualified person that the work has been completed and the installation now meets the standard.
- Supply that confirmation to the tenant within 28 days, and to the local housing authority within 28 days of completing the work if requested.
The 28 days run from the date of the inspection, so the clock starts as soon as the EICR is carried out, not when the landlord gets round to reading it.
One nuance that catches landlords out is that further investigation (an FI code) counts towards the obligation in the same way as a straightforward fault. If the report says an item needs further investigation, the landlord cannot simply note it and move on — the investigation itself has to be carried out within the 28 days, and if it then reveals a C1 or C2, that has to be remedied too. In practice this can mean two rounds of work inside a single window: the investigation first, then whatever fix it turns up. That is precisely why reading the report quickly matters so much, because an FI buried in the observations can quietly consume most of the available time before any remedial work even begins.
Which faults the deadline covers
The 28-day rule applies to the work needed to make an unsatisfactory installation satisfactory — that is, the codes that fail a report:
| Code | Meaning | Within the 28-day rule? |
|---|---|---|
| C1 | Danger present | Yes — and act immediately |
| C2 | Potentially dangerous | Yes |
| FI | Further investigation required | Yes |
| C3 | Improvement recommended | No — optional, not remedial |
Remedial obligations under the 2020 Regulations apply to C1, C2 and FI. Source: gov.uk landlord guidance.
Owner-occupiers and confirmation of work
If you own and live in your home, the 2020 Regulations and the 28-day deadline do not apply to you — they govern the private rented sector. There is no legal timeframe within which an owner-occupier must act on EICR faults.
That said, the codes mean the same thing regardless of who owns the property. A C1 is an immediate danger and a C2 is potentially dangerous, so leaving them indefinitely keeps a genuine safety risk in your home. The sensible approach is to treat C1 as urgent, address C2 and FI items promptly, and decide on C3 recommendations at your own pace.
There are also moments when an owner-occupier effectively inherits the landlord's urgency even without the legal duty. Selling the home is the clearest: a buyer's solicitor or mortgage valuer who learns of an unsatisfactory EICR will usually want the faults remedied, or the price adjusted, before completion — so the 28-day rule may not apply, but the transaction imposes its own timetable. Insurance is another: a policy may expect the installation to be kept in a safe condition, and an unaddressed C1 or C2 could be raised after a fire. So while the statutory clock is a private-rented-sector creation, the practical pressure to fix serious faults reaches owner-occupiers through the sale process and the small print of their cover, not just through safety.
Whoever the property belongs to, once remedial work is done it should be confirmed in writing — by a remedial works confirmation, a Minor Works Certificate, or a fresh EICR — so there is documentary evidence the installation has been brought up to standard. Landlords must supply this to the tenant and, on request, the local authority; owner-occupiers should keep it with their records for insurance and resale.
What happens if a landlord misses the deadline
The 28-day rule is not just guidance — it carries real consequences for landlords in England, which is why it pays to start arranging remedial work as soon as an unsatisfactory report comes in rather than waiting.
Under the 2020 Regulations, a local housing authority that believes a landlord is in breach can:
- Serve a remedial notice requiring the landlord to carry out the work, usually within a set period.
- Arrange the work itself with the tenant's consent if the landlord fails to act, and recover the cost from the landlord.
- Impose a financial penalty of up to £30,000 for a breach of the duties.
Because the clock runs from the date of the inspection, a landlord who leaves the report unread for two weeks has already used half the window. The practical sequence is: get the EICR done in good time before it is due, read the result promptly, instruct an electrician for any C1, C2 or FI items straight away, and obtain the written confirmation to pass to the tenant and, if asked, the council. Building in a margin matters because remedial work can occasionally uncover further issues that take time to put right.
For owner-occupiers none of these enforcement provisions apply, but the underlying safety logic is identical — a C1 or C2 is a real risk whether or not a regulator is watching, so prompt action is the sensible course regardless of tenure.
It is also worth noting that the 28 days is a deadline for the work, not merely for instructing it. A landlord who books an electrician on day 27 has not met the obligation if the remedial work itself is not completed and confirmed within the window. In busy periods, or where parts or a follow-up visit are needed, that distinction can be the difference between compliance and a breach. The safest reading of the rule is therefore to treat the inspection date as the start of a short, fixed countdown to completed, certified work — which is why landlords who arrange the EICR with time to spare before it is due, rather than at the last moment, give themselves the room to absorb any complications the remedial work turns up.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 28-day EICR rule a legal requirement?
Yes, for privately rented homes in England under the 2020 Electrical Safety Standards Regulations. Landlords must complete remedial or further investigative work within 28 days of an unsatisfactory EICR, or sooner if the report specifies, and provide written confirmation to the tenant and local authority.
Does the 28-day rule cover C3 codes?
No. C3 codes are improvement recommendations, not safety defects, and do not make a report unsatisfactory. The 28-day remedial deadline applies only to C1, C2 and FI items — the codes that require remedial or further investigative work.
Do owner-occupiers have a deadline to fix EICR faults?
No statutory deadline. The 2020 Regulations and the 28-day rule apply to private rented homes. However, the codes mean the same thing: a C1 is an immediate danger and a C2 is potentially dangerous, so owner-occupiers should still address them promptly for safety.
Sources & further reading
- gov.uk — electrical safety standards in the private rented sector
- Electrical Safety First — landlord EICR responsibilities
Figures on this page are typical UK ranges drawn from published sources and depend on your specific property. They are guidance, not a quotation. Legal duties are summarised for guidance — confirm the current position on GOV.UK.