Landlords
EICR results explained: C1, C2 and C3
One line at the top of the report says satisfactory or unsatisfactory. The codes underneath say why, and only three of the four force you to do anything.
Written by the ARA Services engineering team · Updated August 2026
The short answer
C1 means danger is present and the electrician should make it safe on the spot. C2 means potentially dangerous. FI means something could not be assessed and needs further investigation. Any of those three makes the report unsatisfactory. C3 is an improvement recommended — a report can be satisfactory with any number of them. In a let property, C1, C2 and FI items must be put right or investigated within 28 days of the report.
The four codes
C1 — danger present
A live risk of shock or fire as the installation stands: exposed conductors, a melted socket, a missing blanking plate on a consumer unit. The electrician should make it safe before leaving, then quote the permanent repair.
C2 — potentially dangerous
Not dangerous right now, but it becomes so under fault conditions. Missing earthing or bonding and socket circuits with no RCD protection are the two we record most. This is the code that fails most reports.
C3 — improvement recommended
The installation does not meet the current wiring regulations but is not dangerous. Missing warning labels, no circuit chart, an older plastic consumer unit. No obligation to act, and the report can still pass.
FI — further investigation
Something could not be assessed on the day, often because a floor or a ceiling is in the way. It leaves the overall condition unconfirmed, so it counts as unsatisfactory until the investigation is done.
Got a report in front of you? Read us the codes and we will tell you what has to be done.
077 2715 4746What makes a report unsatisfactory
One C1, one C2 or one FI is enough, no matter how many circuits passed. C3 observations do not change the result, which is why a report can list half a dozen of them and still be satisfactory.
For a let property in England, the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector Regulations 2020 require the remedial or investigative work to be completed within 28 days of the report, or sooner if the electrician specifies a shorter period, with written confirmation given to the tenant and, where they have asked for it, the local authority.
Twenty-eight days is not long. We can usually attend within a few working days.
EICR and remedialsWhat we see most in London property
The same handful of items account for most unsatisfactory reports in the housing stock we work on, and none of them means the property is a wreck.
No RCD protection on socket circuits, typical of consumer units fitted before the mid-2000s.
Main protective bonding missing or undersized at the gas and water services.
Undocumented DIY additions — spurs off spurs, buried junction boxes, an outside socket on an internal circuit.
Damaged accessories and heat-damaged cable, usually around downlights, cookers and showers.
Most C2 items on older installations are cured by the board and the bonding together.
Consumer unit upgradesOn over-coding
Codes are a matter of judgement and the judgement is not always applied consistently. The absence of an RCD where the circuit otherwise tests correctly is one of the most frequently miscoded items in the industry, and a C3 written up as a C2 turns an advisory into a bill.
You are entitled to ask why an item was coded as it was, and to have the reasoning explained against the observation. We will give you a second view on a report we did not write, and we will say so plainly if we think the original was fair.
Ask for the detail. A useful report names the circuit, the observation and the code. If the wording is vague, the quote that follows it will be too.
Want a second opinion on a report? Email it over and we will go through it with you.
Call 077 2715 4746Getting back to satisfactory
Once the work is done you need paperwork that matches it: a minor works certificate for small repairs, an installation certificate where new circuits were added, or a fresh EICR where enough has changed to warrant a full re-inspection. Small items can often be cleared on the same visit as the inspection, which saves a second appointment and a second charge.
One visit for the remedials, the certificate and the copies for your tenant.
Book the remedial workEICR questions
How often does a rented property need an EICR?
At least every five years, or sooner if the report specifies a shorter interval, and a copy goes to new tenants before they move in.
Do I have to fix C3 items?
No. They are recommendations, and the report stays satisfactory without them. Many landlords clear them while other work is being done, since the labour is already on site.
Can you carry out remedials on someone else’s report?
Yes. We quote the listed items, complete them and issue the certification confirming the installation now complies.
Will an EICR affect a sale?
It is not required for a sale, but a satisfactory report answers the question a buyer’s surveyor will raise about older wiring.
Get the remedials quoted
Send the report through and we will price the listed items and book the work.