Short answer
On an Electrical Installation Condition Report, C1 means danger present, C2 means potentially dangerous, C3 means improvement recommended, and FI means further investigation. In England, private landlords must have the installation inspected at least every five years. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own rules.
On this page
The four codes
An Electrical Installation Condition Report records the condition of the fixed installation. Observations are coded so the person responsible can see what is urgent.
- C1, danger present. The inspector considers that someone or the property is at immediate risk. The circuit should be made safe before it is used again. The inspector may isolate it while they are there.
- C2, potentially dangerous. The condition is not necessarily an immediate danger, but it should be put right. A report with C1 or C2 observations is normally unsatisfactory.
- C3, improvement recommended. The installation would be safer or closer to current practice if the item were improved. A C3 does not, by itself, make the report unsatisfactory.
- FI, further investigation. The inspector could not confirm the condition without more work, for example where equipment could not be inspected safely. An FI item needs that investigation. It is not a finding that nothing is wrong.
The inspector sets the codes. This page is an explanation, not a second opinion on a report you have already received.
England: rented homes
The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 require a private landlord of a specified tenancy to have the electrical installation inspected and tested by a qualified person at intervals of no more than five years, or sooner if the previous report says so. GOV.UK's guidance for the private and social rented sectors describes the same five-year maximum and the duties that follow the report.
In outline, the landlord obtains the report, gives a copy to the existing tenant within 28 days, gives it to a new tenant before they move in, and gives it to the local council within 7 days of a written request. Where the report requires remedial or further investigative work, that work is carried out by a qualified person within 28 days, or sooner if the report says so. The precise duties and the tenancies they cover are in the regulations and the GOV.UK guidance. This summary is not a substitute for either.
Social rented homes are covered by later changes described on the same GOV.UK page, with their own dates. Do not apply the private-rented timetable to a social tenancy without reading that page.
The rest of the UK
These regulations are England's. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland set their own requirements for rented property and for inspection intervals. If the property is not in England, use the rules for that nation rather than this summary.
What an EICR is not
An EICR is not a repair, and it is not a portable-appliance test. Remedial work is a separate instruction. A satisfactory report does not promise that a later alteration will be safe.
Request the inspection on the EICR page. Say whether the property is rented, and in which nation, so the electrician knows which duty you are asking about. This site does not issue the report.
Sources
Questions
Does a C3 fail the report?
No. C3 is a recommendation. C1, C2 and FI are the observations that mean the installation is not simply satisfactory.
Does this page state the rule outside England?
No. The five-year landlord interval described here is the England regulation. Check the rules for the nation the property is in.
Need this done? Read the EICR guide, or start a request.
Electrical fault at home? Find the right electrician.
A consumer unit that keeps tripping. A socket that has stopped working. Lights flickering for no obvious reason.