What does “unsatisfactory” mean on an EICR?
An Electrical Installation Condition Report records the condition of a property’s fixed electrical installation at the time of inspection. It identifies safety concerns using standard classification codes and gives an overall assessment of satisfactory or unsatisfactory.
An EICR is normally unsatisfactory where it contains:
- one or more C1 observations;
- one or more C2 observations; or
- one or more FI observations.
A report containing C3 recommendations only can still be assessed as satisfactory. However, the recommendations should be reviewed rather than ignored, particularly before planned refurbishment or future inspection.
C1, C2, C3 and FI explained
| Code | Meaning | Landlord response |
|---|---|---|
| C1 | Danger present. Risk of injury. | Immediate remedial action is required. Agree how the danger will be removed or safely isolated. |
| C2 | Potentially dangerous. | Arrange urgent remedial action and manage access or use until the risk is resolved. |
| C3 | Improvement recommended. | Consider the improvement and plan it appropriately. C3 alone does not make the report unsatisfactory. |
| FI | Further investigation required without delay. | Arrange focused investigation promptly, then act on the confirmed outcome. |
Each observation should describe a specific concern, location and classification. A code is not a quotation or a complete work specification: the remedial electrician may need to inspect the affected part before confirming the repair.
What should a landlord do first?
- Read the overall assessment. Confirm whether the report is satisfactory or unsatisfactory.
- Find every coded observation. Do not rely only on a verbal summary or the front page.
- Act on C1 immediately. Confirm whether the inspector made the item safe and what remains to be done.
- Book C2 remedial work urgently. Ask what restrictions or interim precautions are needed.
- Arrange FI investigation without delay. Do not treat FI as an optional recommendation.
- Review C3 items. Decide whether to include them with current work or plan them for later.
- Keep the audit trail. Retain the original EICR, quotation, certificates and evidence that each relevant observation was closed.
If a C1 is reported
A C1 means danger is present. Speak to the inspector immediately. Affected equipment or circuits may need to be isolated or otherwise made safe before normal use continues. Do not wait for a routine quotation cycle while occupants remain exposed to the danger.
Does a C2 mean the property is dangerous now?
C2 means potentially dangerous rather than danger necessarily being present at that moment. The condition could give rise to danger under fault conditions or reasonably foreseeable use, so urgent remedial action is required.
The appropriate timescale and any interim controls depend on the actual observation. Ask the inspector or remedial electrician whether a circuit, accessory or area should not be used while work is arranged. Record that advice and communicate necessary safety information to occupants without sharing irrelevant report details.
Why is FI an unsatisfactory outcome?
FI is used where a safety concern cannot be fully resolved within the agreed inspection and testing. It is not shorthand for “check this at the next five-year inspection”. Further investigation is required without delay because the result may reveal a C1 or C2 condition.
The investigation should be focused on the stated concern. Once complete, keep a written result and any subsequent electrical certification with the original report.
Does C3 have to be repaired?
A C3 identifies an improvement that would enhance the safety of the installation. It does not indicate current or potential danger and does not by itself make an EICR unsatisfactory.
Landlords should still consider C3 recommendations in context. It can be efficient to complete suitable improvements during other electrical work, before redecoration or as part of a planned upgrade. Ask the electrician to separate necessary C1, C2 and FI work from optional C3 improvements in the quotation so the priorities remain clear.
How quickly must Scottish landlords complete remedial work?
Online guidance often quotes a fixed 28-day deadline from regulations that apply in England. Scotland has a different legal framework. The Scottish Repairing Standard statutory guidance does not set the same automatic 28-day remedial period.
That does not create permission to delay. Private landlords in Scotland must ensure the electrical installation, fixtures, fittings and landlord-provided appliances are in a reasonable state of repair and proper working order. The classification itself sets the safety priority:
- C1: immediate remedial action;
- C2: urgent remedial action;
- FI: further investigation without delay; and
- C3: improvement recommended.
Licence conditions, tribunal orders, insurer requirements or enforcement action may create additional deadlines. Where any of those apply, follow the specific requirement.
Who should carry out remedial work?
The Scottish statutory guidance says landlord electrical inspections must be carried out by a skilled person competent in the work. It identifies membership of an accredited scheme operated by SELECT, NICEIC or NAPIT as evidence of the required capability, while also allowing another skilled person who can satisfy the guidance’s competency checklist.
For remedial work, use an electrician competent in the type of installation and work involved. Give them the complete EICR, not just a list copied into an email, so they can see observations, test results, limitations and the inspector’s context.
What evidence should be provided after repairs?
Ask the electrician to document exactly which original observations were addressed. Depending on the work, the appropriate evidence may include:
- an Electrical Installation Certificate;
- a Minor Electrical Installation Works Certificate;
- a written result for further investigation;
- updated schedules of inspections or test results; and
- a clear remedial-work completion record linked to each EICR observation.
A new full EICR is not automatically required after every repair. The original EICR and appropriate certificates for the completed work can form the compliance record. Ask the inspecting or remedial electrician whether the scope or findings justify further inspection or a replacement report.
Should the original EICR be changed after repairs?
The original EICR is a record of the installation’s condition on the inspection date. Remedial work does not erase that history. Keep the original report unchanged and add the later certificates and completion evidence showing what was corrected.
This creates a clearer audit trail than altering the original document or relying on an invoice that merely says “EICR repairs”. Each C1, C2 and FI item should be traceable to a recorded outcome.
What if the report contains limitations?
An EICR records the agreed extent and limitations of the inspection. Examples can include inaccessible areas, circuits that could not be isolated or parts concealed by the building fabric. A limitation is not automatically a defect, but it can reduce what the report is able to confirm.
Review whether a limitation was agreed and reasonable. If it leaves an important safety question unanswered, ask the inspector whether additional access or investigation is needed. Do not describe an installation as fully inspected beyond the scope shown on the report.
What should landlords tell tenants?
Give occupants practical information where a finding affects safe use, access or planned work. This may include:
- which circuit, socket, appliance connection or area must not be used;
- any temporary isolation or precaution put in place;
- when the electrician needs access;
- how to report a change or further fault; and
- when normal use has been confirmed as safe.
Avoid sending technical conclusions that contradict the electrician’s advice. Keep communications factual and retain access requests and appointments as part of the property record.
Unsatisfactory EICR checklist for landlords
- Save the complete signed EICR.
- List every C1, C2 and FI observation.
- Confirm any immediate isolation or make-safe work.
- Arrange urgent C2 work and FI investigation.
- Separate required work from C3 improvements.
- Give the electrician the full report and test schedules.
- Record access arrangements and tenant safety instructions.
- Collect the correct electrical certificates and investigation results.
- Match completion evidence to each original observation.
- Retain the original report and all follow-up documents together.
Frequently asked questions
Can a property be rented with an unsatisfactory EICR?
A Scottish landlord must ensure the installation is in a reasonable state of repair and proper working order. An unsatisfactory report identifies safety work or investigation that requires action. Obtain specific competent advice, make any danger safe and address the findings according to their urgency rather than assuming the report can remain unresolved.
Will every old consumer unit receive a C2?
No. Classification should be based on the safety of the installation and the specific deficiency found, not age or material alone. The report should explain the observation and why its code is justified.
Can an electrician downgrade a code to reduce the work?
A remedial electrician may reach a different professional conclusion after examination, but any change should be technically justified and documented. Do not accept an unexplained alteration made only to turn the overall result into “satisfactory”.
Does an EICR require the property to match the newest wiring rules?
Not every difference from the current edition of BS 7671 is automatically unsafe or requires an observation. An EICR assesses whether the existing installation is safe for continued service, with each concern classified according to risk.
- Scottish Government: Repairing Standard statutory guidance, Annex D3
- Electrical Safety First: Best Practice Guide 4 — Electrical installation condition reporting
- Landlord EICRs in Scotland: inspection and five-year intervals
- PAT testing for Scottish landlords
- Smoke and heat alarms for Scottish landlords
- Electrical checks between tenancies
This article is general information for landlords, letting agents and property managers. It is not legal advice and cannot classify a defect or confirm that an installation is safe. Follow the signed report and obtain advice from a competent electrician for the specific property.