The short answer
If an EICR comes back unsatisfactory, a landlord in England must have the required remedial or further-investigation work carried out within 28 days of the inspection — or sooner, if the report specifies a shorter period. An EICR is unsatisfactory when it records a C1 (danger present), a C2 (potentially dangerous) or significant FI (further investigation). A C1 is an immediate risk and a competent electrician will usually make it safe before leaving, but the formal remedial work still has to be completed within the deadline. Once the work is done, the landlord must obtain written confirmation from a qualified person that the installation now meets the standard, and supply that confirmation to the tenant and, on request, the local authority within 28 days. Only then is the duty discharged.
An unsatisfactory EICR is not a fine in itself — it is a trigger for action with a fixed deadline. What the landlord must do, and how quickly, depends on the codes recorded in the report.
After an unsatisfactory EICR
- Remedial deadlinewithin 28 days (or sooner if stated)
- TriggersC1, C2 or significant FI
- C1 dangermade safe at once; work still due
- Confirmationwritten, from a qualified person
- Supply confirmation totenant and local authority
What makes a report unsatisfactory
The overall result of an EICR turns on the observation codes the inspector records. A report is marked unsatisfactory where it contains any of the following:
- C1 — danger present: an immediate risk of injury, such as exposed live parts.
- C2 — potentially dangerous: not an immediate threat, but could become dangerous under fault conditions.
- FI — further investigation: where a significant matter cannot be fully resolved on the day and needs deeper assessment.
A report with only C3 (improvement recommended) observations remains satisfactory — those are advisory upgrades, not failures, and they do not trigger the 28-day remedial duty. It is the C1, C2 and significant FI findings that put the report into unsatisfactory territory and start the clock.
| Code | Meaning | Landlord action |
|---|---|---|
| C1 | Danger present | Make safe at once; remedy within deadline |
| C2 | Potentially dangerous | Remedy within 28 days (or sooner) |
| FI | Further investigation | Investigate within the deadline |
| C3 | Improvement recommended | No remedial duty; advisory only |
General guidance on BS 7671 EICR coding and the 2020 regulations. Source: GOV.UK; Electrical Safety First.
The 28-day remedial duty
Where the report requires remedial or further-investigation work, the landlord must complete it within 28 days of the inspection, unless the report sets a shorter period — which it can, particularly for a serious C1 or C2. The work must be carried out by a qualified and competent person, and on completion the landlord must obtain written confirmation that the remedial work has been done and the installation now meets the standard.
That written confirmation is then supplied to the tenant and to the local authority within 28 days of the work finishing. The combination of the completed work and the confirmation document is what demonstrates the landlord has discharged the duty; having the work done but no paperwork is not enough to show compliance.
Urgent C1 findings and what comes next
A C1 is treated with particular urgency because danger is present. In practice a competent electrician carrying out the inspection will usually make the immediate danger safe before leaving the property — for example, isolating an exposed live part — but that on-the-spot action does not remove the duty to complete the proper remedial work and obtain confirmation within the deadline.
If a landlord does not carry out the required work within the time allowed, the local authority can step in. It may serve a remedial notice, arrange for the work to be done and recover the cost from the landlord, and impose a financial penalty for the breach. Because the deadlines and enforcement detail are set in law and can change, a landlord facing an unsatisfactory report should act promptly and confirm the current requirements on GOV.UK.
The written confirmation that closes the loop
Completing the remedial work is only half of what the regulations require — the landlord must also be able to prove it was done properly. After the work is finished, the landlord obtains written confirmation from a qualified and competent person that the further investigative or remedial work has been carried out and that the installation now meets the standard. This is the document that turns a fixed problem into demonstrable compliance.
That confirmation must be supplied to the tenant and, on request, to the local authority within 28 days of the work being completed. In practice the confirmation can take the form of a letter or certificate from the electrician, or a follow-up report, depending on the nature of the work. A landlord who carries out the work but cannot produce this confirmation is in a weak position if the authority asks for evidence, so it is worth requesting the paperwork from the electrician at the time the work is signed off rather than chasing it later.
| Step after an unsatisfactory EICR | Who does it | Within |
|---|---|---|
| Carry out remedial / FI work | Qualified person, for the landlord | 28 days (or sooner if stated) |
| Obtain written confirmation | Qualified person | On completion |
| Supply confirmation to tenant | Landlord | 28 days of completion |
| Supply to local authority on request | Landlord | As requested |
England, Electrical Safety Standards 2020. Confirm current detail on GOV.UK.
Questioning a code or a disputed report
Occasionally a landlord disagrees with a code, or feels a report has been marked too harshly. The codes in an EICR involve an element of professional judgement, and different inspectors can sometimes reach slightly different conclusions on borderline observations. Where a landlord genuinely doubts a finding, the appropriate route is to discuss it with the original inspector and, if needed, seek a second opinion from another qualified electrician — not simply to ignore the report.
What a landlord should not do is treat a disagreement as a reason to let the deadline pass. The 28-day clock runs regardless of any dispute, so it is safer to act on the report while resolving the disagreement in parallel. If a second competent inspector reasonably concludes that a particular item is not in fact a C1 or C2, that is a legitimate basis for a different view; but the landlord still needs documentation to support it. Because the consequences of an unsatisfactory report — including potential enforcement and liability if someone is later harmed — are significant, the cautious course is to remedy first and challenge through proper professional channels, confirming the position on GOV.UK if any uncertainty remains.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a landlord have to fix an unsatisfactory EICR?
Within 28 days of the inspection, or sooner if the report specifies a shorter period. The work must be done by a qualified person, and the landlord must then obtain and supply written confirmation that the installation now meets the standard.
What codes make an EICR unsatisfactory?
A C1 (danger present), a C2 (potentially dangerous) or significant FI (further investigation) makes a report unsatisfactory. A report with only C3 (improvement recommended) observations stays satisfactory and does not trigger the remedial duty.
What happens if a landlord does not do the remedial work?
The local authority can serve a remedial notice, arrange the work itself and recover the cost from the landlord, and impose a financial penalty for the breach. Acting within the 28-day deadline and keeping the written confirmation avoids this.
Sources & further reading
- GOV.UK — electrical safety standards in the private rented sector: guidance
- Electrical Safety First — landlords
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.