EICR certificates: what UK electricians need to know in 2026
The rules around Electrical Installation Condition Reports for landlords and homeowners, what C1/C2/C3 codes mean, and how to issue them faster.
Every rented property in England and Wales needs an EICR every 5 years or on change of tenancy. Miss it and the landlord faces fines up to £30,000. Here's what you're actually signing when you issue one.
The four classification codes
- C1 — Danger present. Immediate action required.
- C2 — Potentially dangerous. Urgent remedial work needed.
- C3 — Improvement recommended. Not a fail.
- FI — Further investigation required without delay.
What makes a report unsatisfactory
Any C1, C2 or FI code makes the installation unsatisfactory. C3 codes on their own do not. Landlords have 28 days from the report date to complete remedial work and get written confirmation.
The paperwork that matters
You need calibrated test instruments with in-date certificates, and every result recorded against the correct circuit. Missing schedule of test results is the number-one reason EICRs get challenged.
How Cole helps
Cole's electrical certificate module generates BS 7671-compliant EIC, EICR and Minor Works certificates from your phone, with your test instrument register attached and your engineer signature stored securely.