C1 and C2 Fault Codes on a Wales Landlord EICR: What They Mean and What to Do

Your electrician hands you an EICR with red-flagged observation codes and the word "Unsatisfactory" on the front page. For a Welsh landlord, C1, C2, or FI findings require prompt attention, but an unsatisfactory report alone does not automatically establish that the dwelling is unfit for human habitation. Regulation 6 treats it as unfit while a required inspection report, service, or remedial-work confirmation is outstanding. Here is what each code means and what the law requires you to do.

The Observation Codes Explained

An Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) conducted under BS 7671:2018+A2:2022 uses a standardised coding system to classify faults:

Code C1 — Danger Present. An immediate risk of injury exists. The electrician should isolate the affected circuit before leaving the property. Common C1 findings include exposed live conductors, lack of earthing on metal-cased appliances, and severely damaged consumer units. This requires emergency repair — not a scheduled callback.

Code C2 — Potentially Dangerous. A serious fault that does not present immediate danger but requires urgent remedial action. Examples include missing RCD protection on socket circuits, incorrect polarity, and deteriorated wiring insulation. Left unaddressed, a C2 fault can escalate to a C1.

Code FI — Further Investigation Required. The electrician has found something that cannot be fully assessed during the standard inspection (e.g., wiring buried in walls that may be undersized, or a circuit that behaves anomalously under testing). FI requires a follow-up investigation, not a wait-and-see approach.

Code C3 — Improvement Recommended. A non-hazardous suggestion for upgrading the installation. C3 codes do not make the report unsatisfactory and do not require action for compliance purposes. You may choose to address them, but the law does not require it.

Any EICR containing one or more C1, C2, or FI codes is classified as Unsatisfactory. This indicates that remedial work or further investigation is needed, but the report label alone does not decide whether the dwelling is unfit under Section 91. Regulation 6 treats the dwelling as unfit while a required current report, copy, or written confirmation of completed remedial work has not been provided; rent is not payable for days the dwelling is treated as unfit under that regulation.

The Welsh 14-Day Remedial Rule

This is where Welsh law diverges from English law, and where many landlords get caught. In England, the remedial deadline is 28 days. In Wales, the Renting Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) (Wales) Regulations 2022 (as amended by S.I. 2022/1076) set a tighter timeline:

1. Arrange remedial work through a qualified electrician registered with a competent person scheme (NICEIC, NAPIT, or the Registered Competent Person Electrical register).
2. Obtain written confirmation that the work is complete. This is either an Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC) for new circuits or a Minor Electrical Installation Works Certificate (MEIWC) for repairs to existing circuits.
3. Serve that written confirmation on the contract-holder within 14 days beginning with the day you receive it. The clock runs from receipt of the written confirmation, not from completion of the work. If the work is completed before the contract-holder occupies, provide the confirmation within 14 days beginning with the occupation date.

If the inspection takes place before a new contract-holder occupies, serve the EICR within 14 days beginning with the occupation date. For an inspection after occupation, serve the report within 14 days beginning with the inspection date.

Step-by-Step After an Unsatisfactory Report

Day of inspection. If C1 codes are present, the electrician should have isolated the dangerous circuit(s) before leaving. Confirm what was isolated and communicate this to the contract-holder immediately — they need to know which circuits are off and why.

Days 1–3. Book the remedial work. If the original electrician can return quickly, use them — they already know the installation. If not, any electrician registered with a competent person scheme is qualified. Get a written quote and a confirmed date.

Remedial work day. The electrician completes the repairs and provides written confirmation (EIC or MEIWC). The service clock starts when you receive that written confirmation.

Within 14 days of receiving the confirmation. Serve it on the contract-holder. Use recorded delivery, hand delivery with a signed receipt, or email with read receipt (if the contract-holder has consented to electronic service). Keep dated proof of delivery.

File everything. The original unsatisfactory EICR, the remedial work confirmation, and the proof-of-service receipt all go into your compliance file for the property.

What If You Cannot Get the Work Done Quickly?

The regulations do not set a fixed number of days to complete remedial work, but Section 92 requires repairs within a reasonable time once the landlord knows or ought to know they are needed. While a dwelling is treated as unfit under Regulation 6:

• Rent is not payable for the days the dwelling is treated as unfit under Regulation 6
• A Rent Repayment Order is not available solely because of an unsatisfactory EICR; it concerns separate qualifying offences such as unlicensed letting or management
• You cannot give a Section 173 possession notice while a Regulation 6 failure keeps the Schedule 9A restriction in force
• The local authority can serve an Improvement Notice

The practical answer: treat C1 as same-day emergency work and C2/FI as next-available-appointment urgent. The longer the property sits with an unsatisfactory report, the greater your financial and legal exposure.

Keeping Track of the Cycle

Your EICR is valid for five years — unless the electrician specifies a shorter interval on the report (common with older installations). Record both the report date and the next-due date in your compliance tracker. Set a reminder at least two months before expiry to book the next inspection.

The Fitness for Human Habitation compliance guide includes an EICR cycle manager worksheet and a 14-day service audit ledger designed around the Welsh statutory deadlines — covering the complete process from inspection through remedial work to documented service.

See more Wales guides →