Unsatisfactory EICR: the 28-day clock and the completion certificate
An Unsatisfactory result starts two tracks at once: make dangerous things safe now (C1), and fix the rest with paperwork (C2/FI) inside 28 days. Which certificate closes each item depends on what the work was.
The priority order inside the 28 days
| Code | Meaning | Landlord action |
|---|---|---|
| C1 | Danger present | Make safe immediately — isolate, repair or remove. "28 days" does not apply to an exposed live part. |
| FI | Further investigation required without delay | Book the investigation; its findings generate C-codes (or clear the item) — the clock keeps running. |
| C2 | Potentially dangerous | Remedial work within 28 days, written confirmation to the tenant that it is done. |
| C3 | Improvement recommended | No legal duty. Sensible to schedule; not part of the compliance clock. |
The Regulations require further investigation or remedial work and written confirmation to the tenant that it is complete — within 28 days. Local authorities can enforce with corrective action notices and fines up to £30,000; insurers and letting agents ask for the same paperwork.
Which certificate closes which job
| Remedial work | Certificate | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Replacing a cracked/damaged accessory (socket, switch, light fitting) | Minor Works Certificate | Alteration/addition to an existing circuit, no new circuit |
| Adding RCD protection to an existing circuit | Minor Works Certificate | Same — alteration to an existing circuit |
| Repairing a consumer unit defect (replacing a broken device) | Minor Works Certificate | Repair, not replacement of the board |
| Full consumer unit replacement | Electrical Installation Certificate + building-compliance cert | Significant alteration; notifiable (Part P) — registered electrician notifies via their scheme |
| New circuit (e.g. adding a circuit to split an overloaded board) | Electrical Installation Certificate + building-compliance cert | New work is always EIC territory, notifiable where applicable |
| Whole rewires / extensions of the installation | Electrical Installation Certificate | Plus a fresh EICR or the EIC's own schedules to re-set the next inspection date |
What an MWC must contain
The BS 7671 Minor Works Certificate records: a description of the work and the extent, the circuit details, and the test results relevant to the work — continuity of protective conductors, insulation resistance, polarity, earth-fault loop impedance (Zs) at the point of work, and RCD operation where an RCD is involved or relevant. It is signed by the person who did the work. One MWC per circuit/job (or one covering a clearly itemised batch).
Common landlord mistakes
- Treating the C3s as part of the 28-day duty. They aren't — but leaving a listed C2 unfixed because a C3 was fixed first is a compliance failure.
- Accepting "job receipt" instead of a certificate. An invoice is not a Minor Works Certificate. The MWC/EIC is what the next inspector, agent and council accept.
- Losing the pairing. The MWC is only meaningful against the EICR that listed the defect — keep them together.
- No re-set of the clock. After remedial work, confirm the next-inspection date on the original Section F still stands (or was re-set after major work).