The short answer
A satisfactory EICR means the electrical installation has been inspected and tested and found to meet the safety standard of BS 7671, with no C1 (danger present), C2 (potentially dangerous) or FI (further investigation) codes. The installation is safe for continued use. A satisfactory report can still list C3 codes — improvement recommendations — because those are not safety defects and do not affect the result. There is no fixed expiry date; instead the report states the recommended interval to the next inspection, typically up to 10 years for owner-occupied homes and 5 years (or change of tenancy) for rented property. A satisfactory EICR is the result landlords and home buyers want to see.
"Satisfactory" is simply the pass result of an EICR, but a few details — C3 items and validity — are worth understanding. The sections below cover them.
Satisfactory at a glance
- MeansMeets BS 7671 safety standard
- NoC1, C2 or FI codes
- May still haveC3 recommendations
- Owner-occupier intervalUp to 10 years
- Rented interval5 years / new tenancy
What 'satisfactory' actually means
An EICR ends with one of two overall outcomes: satisfactory or unsatisfactory. A satisfactory result means the inspector found no safety defects — no C1, C2 or FI codes — and the installation meets the standard of BS 7671 (the 18th Edition wiring regulations) well enough to be considered safe for continued use.
It is not a statement that the installation is brand new or perfect. It means that, at the time of inspection, nothing dangerous or potentially dangerous was found, and there was no unresolved concern requiring further investigation. The installation has passed.
It is worth being clear about how the inspector reaches that single word. Every observation made during the inspection and testing is given a classification code, and the overall result is decided entirely by which codes appear. If the report contains no C1, C2 or FI codes, the result is satisfactory; the moment any one of those appears, it becomes unsatisfactory. There is no scoring or averaging involved — a satisfactory result is not "mostly fine", it is the specific finding that nothing on the installation was dangerous, potentially dangerous, or in need of further investigation. That is why two homes can both be marked satisfactory while one is a recent installation with a clean report and the other is an older property carrying a string of C3 improvement notes: both have cleared the same safety threshold, even though their installations are in very different condition.
Why a satisfactory report can still list C3 items
A common surprise is seeing codes on a report that is marked satisfactory. This is normal, because C3 codes do not affect the overall result. A C3 means "improvement recommended" — something that does not meet current practice or could be made better, but is not unsafe.
So a report can be satisfactory with several C3 items listed, particularly in older homes that were compliant when wired but predate some current requirements (for instance, a circuit without RCD protection that was compliant at the time). You are not obliged to act on C3 recommendations, and they do not stop the report being a pass. Only C1, C2 and FI codes would turn it unsatisfactory.
How long a satisfactory EICR lasts
A satisfactory EICR does not have a fixed expiry date in the way an MOT does. Instead, the report records the recommended date or interval for the next inspection, based on the type of property and installation. The widely used intervals are:
- Owner-occupied homes: at least every 10 years, and on change of occupancy (such as buying the home).
- Privately rented homes (England): at least every 5 years, and at change of tenancy, as required by the 2020 Electrical Safety Standards Regulations.
The inspector may recommend a shorter interval if the installation's age or condition warrants more frequent checks. A satisfactory report remains valid until the next inspection is due, but it is a snapshot in time: significant alterations, damage or new faults between inspections can change the picture, which is why periodic re-inspection exists. For landlords, holding a current satisfactory EICR is what demonstrates compliance with the letting requirement.
The reason intervals are recommended rather than fixed is that the right gap between inspections depends on the installation, not on a single national rule. A modern installation in a low-wear home may comfortably go the full period; an older one, or one in a property exposed to damp, heavy use or frequent alteration, may warrant more frequent checks. The inspector sets the interval on the basis of what they have just seen, which is why the recommended date is part of the report rather than a number you can assume in advance. Treating that date as the point at which the current reassurance lapses — rather than as an arbitrary expiry — is the most useful way to read it. Booking the next inspection a little ahead of the recommended date, rather than after it has passed, keeps a continuous chain of valid reports, which matters most for landlords who must be able to show an in-date satisfactory EICR at any time. For an owner-occupier the same habit simply means never being caught, mid-sale, with a report that has lapsed and needs redoing under time pressure.
What a satisfactory result does and does not promise
It is worth being precise about what a satisfactory EICR actually tells you, because it is easy to read too much or too little into the word "satisfactory". The result is meaningful, but it has defined limits.
A satisfactory result does tell you:
- That, at the time of inspection, the installation met the BS 7671 safety standard.
- That no dangerous or potentially dangerous faults (C1 or C2) were found, and there were no unresolved concerns (FI).
- That the installation is safe for continued use until the next recommended inspection.
A satisfactory result does not promise:
- That the wiring is new or future-proof — older installations pass routinely if they test as safe.
- That nothing will go wrong before the next inspection. New faults, damage or alterations can change the picture at any time.
- That every part of the installation was exhaustively dismantled — the report's extent and limitations section sets out how much was examined.
This is why a satisfactory EICR is most usefully understood as a point-in-time assessment, not a warranty. If warning signs appear between inspections — tripping, flickering, warm fittings or a burning smell — they should be investigated promptly rather than dismissed because the last report passed. Used sensibly, a satisfactory result gives well-founded reassurance while the recommended re-inspection interval keeps that reassurance current, and the two together are what a satisfactory EICR is really for.
Frequently asked questions
How long is a satisfactory EICR valid for?
There is no fixed expiry, but the report recommends when the next inspection is due — typically up to 10 years for owner-occupied homes and at least every 5 years (or at change of tenancy) for privately rented homes in England. A shorter interval may be recommended for older installations.
Can an EICR be satisfactory and still have codes?
Yes. A satisfactory report can list C3 improvement recommendations, which are not safety defects and do not affect the result. Only C1, C2 and FI codes make a report unsatisfactory, so C3 items are common on a pass, especially in older homes.
Does a satisfactory EICR mean my wiring is new?
No. It means that at the time of inspection the installation met the BS 7671 safety standard with no dangerous or potentially dangerous faults. Older wiring can pass perfectly well if it has been well maintained and tests as safe.
Sources & further reading
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.