EICR: What an Unsatisfactory Report Means — and What to Ask Next

An “unsatisfactory” EICR is a report outcome, not a complete explanation of what to do next. The observations, the inspection’s stated scope and limitations, and the report’s overall assessment need to be read together.

If you are buying or looking after a property, the report can help you understand what the inspector recorded. It cannot, by itself, answer whether a particular person should occupy a particular home. That needs competent, site-specific advice based on the installation and circumstances.

Here is how to read the document, what to clarify, and when to get direct advice from the report author or another competent electrician.

Start with the overall result, then read the detail

An EICR records an inspection and test of an electrical installation within a stated extent. The current IET model form separates the overall assessment from the observation schedule and the stated extent or limitations of the inspection.

That distinction matters. “Unsatisfactory” tells you the report has recorded matters that affect its overall assessment. It does not tell you, on its own, exactly what work is required, how extensive that work will be, or what decision a buyer should make about occupying the property.

Read these parts together:

The IET’s model forms for certification and reporting are a useful reference for the form and its sections. Check the edition named on the report; forms can change.

What do C1, C2, C3 and FI mean?

These are observation codes used to communicate the nature or priority of a recorded issue. In brief: C1 is “danger present”; C2 is “potentially dangerous”; C3 is “improvement recommended”; and FI means “further investigation required”.

The code is not a substitute for the observation itself. Read the description, location, evidence and any stated action together. A code alone does not describe the full condition of the installation or decide whether a property is safe for you to occupy.

For a fuller explanation, see what the EICR observation codes mean. For a broader view of the report’s layout, see an example EICR report.

Questions to ask about the report

If a finding is unclear, ask the person who issued the report to explain it. You can also ask another competent electrician to review the report and, where needed, the installation.

Useful questions include:

• What exactly was observed, and where?
• What evidence or test result supports the observation?
• How does the observation affect the overall assessment?
• Is further investigation needed? If so, what needs to be investigated and why?
• What work or follow-up does the report author recommend, and who should carry it out?
• What parts of the installation were outside the inspection’s stated extent or could not be assessed?
• If work has already been done, what evidence or follow-up inspection would clarify its status?

An EICR records the inspection findings; it is not necessarily a complete repair specification or quotation. Ask for the proposed work and any unresolved points to be explained separately, in writing where useful.

If the report identifies a concern

Do not use an online article, a code in isolation, or the word “unsatisfactory” to make a property-specific safety or occupancy decision. Contact the report author promptly to understand the recorded concern and the recommended next step. If you cannot reach them, or the explanation leaves important uncertainty, arrange advice from another competent electrician who can assess the relevant installation and circumstances.

If the report describes an immediate concern, treat that as a reason to seek prompt, direct advice—not to wait for a general article to resolve it. This page cannot assess the installation remotely.

If you are a landlord in England

Landlord requirements are a separate legal context from a buyer’s decision. GOV.UK guidance for England’s private and social rented sectors says landlords must have the property’s electrical installations checked at least every five years by a properly qualified person. See the official England guidance and what happens after an unsatisfactory EICR.

That England-specific landlord guidance does not decide whether a buyer should occupy a particular property, and it should not be treated as a UK-wide summary of landlord law.

The practical next step

Use the report to identify what was recorded, what the inspection did and did not cover, and what needs clarification. Then get the report author or a competent electrician to explain the findings in the context of the property.

The important point is simple: an EICR is useful evidence about an inspection. Its summary or codes are not a remote verdict on a specific home or occupant.