EICR Codes C1, C2, C3 and FI: A Landlord Checklist

An EICR is the start of an action review, not simply a document to upload. Read the overall result, each coded observation and any shorter deadline. Ask the qualified electrician what requires immediate attention, what must be investigated and what evidence they will provide after the work.

This guide concerns electrical installations in private rented homes in England covered by the electrical-safety regulations. The current government page also covers social housing; its additional appliance-checking rules should not be copied indiscriminately into a private-landlord checklist. This is not a DIY repair guide or a substitute for an electrician’s assessment.

1. Start with the original report and its limitations

Check the property, inspection date, report reference, author, overall result and complete observation pages. Read the extent and limitations of the inspection. If the report excludes an area or records uncertainty, ask what that means for the next action. Do not infer that an uninspected part has passed.

Keep the original file unchanged. Record your plain-English summary alongside it, not over the electrician’s wording. A quoted repair price, a reassuring phone call and a completed invoice are different documents with different purposes.

2. Understand C1, C2, C3 and FI

GOV.UK explains the classification codes:

• C1—danger present: immediate competent action is needed. Ask the electrician what has been made safe and what remains urgent.
• C2—potentially dangerous: remedial work is required; it is not optional maintenance.
• C3—improvement recommended: this alone does not make the report unsatisfactory.
• FI—further investigation: investigate without delay. FI is not another version of C3.

C1 or C2 findings mean an unsatisfactory report. Required FI must also be addressed. Do not downgrade a code yourself. HSE requires competence for electrical work; do not ask a tenant or unqualified helper to open equipment or attempt repairs. Actual fire or danger to life needs the appropriate emergency response, not an administrative queue.

3. Separate the work deadline from the evidence deadline

The current England guidance requires remedial or further investigative work within 28 days, or any shorter period specified as necessary in the report. After completion, supply the tenant and local council with the report and the qualified person’s written confirmation within 28 days of completion.

Do not read “28 days” as permission to leave a C1 hazard untreated. Record the applicable deadline and its source when reviewing the report; seek clarification immediately if unclear. The date someone uploads a PDF is not a fresh start for the required action.

A quote request is not completion. If attendance, parts or access are blocking progress, escalate promptly with the electrician and obtain appropriate advice. Keep the practical constraints and actions taken, but do not assume that documenting a delay automatically excuses it.

4. Create one action row for every relevant observation

This working register links the professional finding to your administrative next step. It does not replace the EICR:

• Source: property, report reference, inspection date and observation number.
• Finding: code and exact location or circuit reference supplied by the electrician.
• Action: investigation, remedial work or considered improvement; scope confirmed by whom.
• Urgency: instruction and deadline as recorded, with any clarification attached.
• Responsibility: electrician, landlord decision-maker and person arranging access.
• Progress: proposed, agreed, attended, further work needed or completion evidence received.
• Proof: relevant confirmation document, author, date and recipient-delivery record.

Keep optional improvements visible without letting them bury urgent actions. Use the contractor quote checklist to check the scope against observation numbers rather than comparing totals alone.

5. Give the electrician and tenant a clear brief

Do not delay urgent safety action while collecting competing quotations. For planned attendance, tell the tenant who is coming, the purpose, proposed windows and expected disruption. Invite practical access needs and confirm the agreement. The access guide covers unanswered requests without treating silence as consent.

After a conversation, send a short factual summary for correction. Use “the electrician has advised…” for their assessment and “I have arranged…” for your action. This helps prevent your interpretation becoming an accidental claim of technical approval.

6. Fictional example: one repair does not close every finding

Illustrative case, not a customer result: the EICR for Sample Flat records a C2 observation and an FI item. The landlord gives each an action row. The electrician completes the work associated with C2, but the FI investigation needs another agreed appointment.

The landlord attaches the first completion document to the relevant observation. They do not change the whole report to satisfactory or label the FI item an optional improvement. The follow-up remains visible with its timing, responsible person and access arrangement. The overall outcome is reviewed only when the qualified person’s evidence addresses the remaining finding.

7. Close findings against evidence, not an invoice total

Ask which document confirms the actual outcome and whether any further work remains. Match it to the original report and observation references. If the confirmation is incomplete or ambiguous, return the question to its author instead of filling the gap yourself.

Retain what was sent to the tenant and council, when and by which route; investigate failed delivery. Keep any next-inspection date separate from remedial deadlines. In your compliance calendar, the nearest unresolved action should stay visible even if a later routine inspection is already scheduled.

8. Frequently asked questions

Can I change FI to C3 if the quote is expensive?

No. Ask the qualified person to explain the finding and scope. Cost concerns are not a technical reassessment.

Is every paid electrical invoice sufficient confirmation?

No. Confirm that the qualified person’s documentation addresses the required work and outcome; a payment receipt alone does not establish either.

Does uploading the EICR make the property compliant?

No. Tendmere’s compliance records organise the evidence you supply. They do not inspect the installation or determine that every legal obligation has been satisfied.

General England-specific operational guidance, reviewed 6 September 2026. Obtain qualified electrical and case-specific legal advice where findings, duties or deadlines are uncertain.