Unsatisfactory results
An unsatisfactory result starts a 28-day clock
Unsatisfactory means at least one observation was coded C1 or C2. On a rented property that starts a deadline. On a home you live in it starts nothing, though the reason for the code has not gone anywhere.
England, privately rented homes. Sources are listed with the duties below.
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What the regulations require
What the law says
The duties, and the deadlines attached
| Inspection interval | No more than 5 years, or shorter where the report specifies |
|---|---|
| Report to existing tenants | Within 28 days of the inspection |
| Report to a new tenant | Before they occupy |
| Report to a prospective tenant | Within 28 days of a written request |
| Report to the local housing authority | Within 7 days of a written request |
| Remedial or further investigative work | Within 28 days, or sooner if the report specifies |
| Written confirmation the work is done | To tenants and the authority within 28 days of completion |
| Maximum financial penalty | £40,000, raised from £30,000 in 2025 |
This describes the law in England. The Welsh and Scottish positions differ, Scotland's repairing standard also covers portable appliances, which the England duty on private landlords does not. It is general information, not legal advice. Last checked against the primary sources on 27 August 2026.
The confirmation matters as much as the work
Doing the remedial work is not the end of the duty. The regulations require written confirmation from a qualified person that the work is complete and the standards are met, and that confirmation goes to the tenants and, on request, to the local housing authority.
You do not have to use the same electrician who carried out the inspection. Using them is often simpler because they already know the installation, and it is your choice.
The report is a record, not a draft
A report is not rewritten once the work is done. It records what was found on the day. What follows is the written confirmation above, and some electricians will also carry out a fresh inspection, which is a separate piece of work with its own report.
If you own and live in the property
There is no deadline and no duty. The codes still tell you something worth knowing: a C1 means danger is present now, and a competent inspector should have made it safe before leaving or told you plainly that they could not.
What you get
A report records circuits, codes and limitations
The verdict is the least useful part. What matters is the schedule of test results behind it, the coded observations, and an honest record of anything the inspection could not reach.
A ticked box and nothing else is a verdict with no working shown. Worth knowing before you accept one, whoever arranged it.
Standards
The standards every inspection is carried out to
An EICR is only as good as the person signing it. Every inspection here is carried out to these standards, and each one is checked against the issuing body's own register rather than taken on trust.
Qualified to inspect, not just to install
Inspecting an existing installation is a separate qualification from wiring a new one. A good installer is not automatically the right person to sign a report.
Registered with a competent person scheme
Checked on the scheme's own public register, not a badge on a website.
Public liability insurance, in date
We check the certificate and the expiry date, not just that one exists. A lapsed policy is the most common reason to turn someone away.
You get the test results
Not just a pass or fail. The report lists each circuit and the readings taken, which is the part worth checking.
Working to the current standard
BS 7671 as amended in 2026. That amendment changed which findings make a report unsatisfactory, and not everyone has caught up.
Reviews you can read
Not a star rating with no detail behind it. We publish no figure of our own, because we have none to publish yet.
Scheme registration and insurance details come with your quote, so you can check them against the public register yourself. How we choose electricians sets out every check, including what gets someone turned away.
Next step
Send your postcode and get a real quote
If your current report has months left, that is what you will be told.
Questions
Unsatisfactory result questions
How long do I have to fix it?
Twenty-eight days from the inspection, or sooner where the report specifies a shorter period. That is the period set by the regulations for a privately rented home in England.
What if the work cannot be done in 28 days?
That is a conversation to have with your local housing authority rather than something to leave running. The duty sits with the landlord and the penalty follows it.
Does an unsatisfactory report have to be given to the tenant?
Yes. The report goes to existing tenants within 28 days of the inspection regardless of its outcome, and to a new tenant before they occupy.
Get a quote
Arrange an EICR
Five fields. We reply with either a fixed price or the one thing we still need to know.
- No cost, and no obligation to book anything
- We come back with a date or a question, not a sales call
- A fixed price for the work described, in writing
Would rather talk it through? Leave a number in the form and say so in the details, and we will ring you rather than emailing back.