EICR Remedial Works: What Happens After a Failed Electrical Inspection

What EICR Codes Actually Mean

An EICR is not a simple pass/fail document. It grades each observed defect using a three-level code system, and the grade determines both the urgency of remediation and whether the report is classified as satisfactory or unsatisfactory.

• C1 — Danger Present: An immediate risk of injury. The electrics as found present a risk of electric shock or fire. A C1 observation means the installation is dangerous and must be remediated immediately — in practice, the attending electrician will often make the item safe before leaving (for example, isolating a live exposed conductor) and confirm the full repair must follow. A report with any C1 code is unsatisfactory.
• C2 — Potentially Dangerous: The condition does not present an immediate risk but is likely to become dangerous if not remediated. A C2 observation means the installation requires investigation and remediation in a reasonable timeframe. A report with any C2 code is unsatisfactory.
• C3 — Improvement Recommended: A deficiency that does not present a safety risk but does not meet current best practice. C3 observations do not fail the report — a report with only C3 codes can be classified as satisfactory. C3 observations are advisory, not mandatory.
• FI — Further Investigation Required: A suspected defect that cannot be fully assessed without additional investigation. An FI item means the installation's condition in that respect is unknown — neither confirmed as dangerous nor confirmed as safe. An FI observation makes the report unsatisfactory until the investigation is completed.

The critical point is that a report returned with only C3 observations passes — the landlord receives a satisfactory certificate and no remedial works are legally required (though C3 improvements are sensible to address in time). Only C1, C2, or FI observations make the report unsatisfactory and trigger the landlord's remediation obligation.

The Landlord's Legal Obligation After an Unsatisfactory EICR

The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 require that landlords of privately rented residential properties have electrical installations inspected every five years (or more frequently if specified by the inspector) and obtain an EICR.

When an EICR returns unsatisfactory, the landlord's obligation is:

• C1 (Danger Present): The defect must be remediated as quickly as possible — in practice, immediately or within days of receiving the report. There is no grace period for a live danger.
• C2 (Potentially Dangerous) and FI: Remedial works must be completed within 28 days of the date of the inspection report (or within any shorter period specified in the report). The landlord must provide the tenant and the local authority (if requested) with written confirmation that the works have been completed — specifically, a signed completion certificate from the electrician who carried out the remedial works.

Failure to complete remedial works within the required period is a breach of the 2020 Regulations. Local authorities have enforcement powers including issuing a remedial notice and, if that is not complied with, carrying out the works themselves and recovering the costs from the landlord. Civil penalties of up to £30,000 apply for breaches.

Common Remedial Works in London Rental Properties

Certain observations come up repeatedly in EICRs on London's older housing stock. The following are the most frequently encountered:

Old Consumer Unit (Fuse Board) — No RCD Protection

London's rental property stock includes a large proportion of pre-1990 properties with consumer units that contain only MCBs (miniature circuit breakers) or, in older properties, rewirable fuse wire carriers. These boards lack RCDs (residual current devices) — the safety devices that protect against electric shock and earth faults by detecting current imbalance and disconnecting the circuit within milliseconds.

A consumer unit without RCD protection will typically receive a C2 observation for the absence of fault protection. The remediation is replacement of the entire consumer unit with a modern dual-RCD or RCBO (residual current breaker with overcurrent protection) board, which provides both MCB and RCD protection on every circuit. Consumer unit replacement is notifiable work under Building Regulations Part P and must be carried out by a registered competent person.

Cost: Consumer unit replacement in a London flat or house typically costs £400–£700 including the new board, labour, and the Part P Building Regulations notification. Properties with larger installations (more circuits) or where the existing wiring requires additional work are at the upper end of this range.

Absence of Supplementary Equipotential Bonding in Bathrooms

Current wiring regulations (BS 7671) require supplementary bonding in bathrooms — cross-bonding conductors connecting metal pipework, radiators, and other extraneous conductive parts within the bathroom zone to prevent a potential difference developing between them that could cause an electric shock if someone in the bath or shower touches two metal surfaces simultaneously. Older properties frequently lack this bonding entirely, or have bonding that is undersized or incorrectly terminated.

A C2 or C3 observation for missing supplementary bonding requires fitting the bonding conductors and connecting them to the relevant earthing point. This is generally a minor works job.

Cost: Supplementary bonding addition in a bathroom: £150–£250 including parts and labour.

Dangerous or Deteriorated Socket Outlets

Old socket outlets — particularly those with non-standard face sizes, cracked faceplates, or incorrect wiring connections — receive C2 observations when the defect presents a risk of shock or poor contact that could cause arcing. Like-for-like replacement of individual socket outlets is straightforward work.

Cost: Per socket replacement: £40–£80 depending on location and access.

Damaged or Incorrectly Installed Wiring

Visible damaged cable insulation, cables run without adequate mechanical protection, cables routed through locations that present a risk of mechanical damage — these all attract C1 or C2 observations. Remediation may involve rerouting cable, adding conduit protection, or replacing damaged sections. Cost depends on the extent of the work.

Getting the Remedial Completion Certificate

Once remedial works are completed, the electrician who carried out the work must provide a signed document confirming that the works identified in the EICR have been completed. This is typically a Minor Electrical Installation Works Certificate (for minor remedials) or an Electrical Installation Certificate (for larger works like consumer unit replacement). For Part P notifiable work, a Building Regulations Compliance Certificate is also issued.

The landlord must keep these documents and provide copies to tenants and the local authority within 28 days of the works being completed if requested.

Re-Inspection After Remedial Works

For most standard remedial works — replacing a consumer unit, adding supplementary bonding, replacing defective sockets — a full re-inspection of the entire installation is not required. The remedial completion certificate documents the specific works done, and the original EICR remains on file showing the date and scope of the inspection. The next full EICR is still due five years from the original inspection date (or sooner if the report specified a shorter interval).

If the original EICR returned FI observations that required further investigation, the investigation and its outcome must be documented and the unsatisfactory status of the report resolved before the installation can be certified as satisfactory.

Keeping Records

Landlords must retain the EICR and all remedial completion certificates. These documents are required evidence of compliance with the 2020 Regulations and must be provided to new tenants before they move in, to existing tenants within 28 days of a request, and to the local authority within 7 days of a request. A landlord who cannot produce these documents when required risks enforcement action regardless of whether the works were actually carried out.