Two Quiet Changes to Your EICR This October: Amendment 4 and the Level 3 Rule
Amendment 4 forms, a new meaning for FI, and a Level 3 inspection and testing rule from 1 October 2026. How to check which edition your report is on and whether the inspector qualifies.
By Jamie Dawson · Editor
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Updated 12 Oct 2026
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8 min read
Two changes land on the Electrical Installation Condition Report this month, and neither comes with a government announcement. On 15 October 2026 the previous version of the wiring regulations, BS 7671:2018+A2:2022 with Amendment 3:2024, is withdrawn, and Amendment 4, published on 15 April 2026, becomes the only current edition. From 1 October 2026 the certification bodies apply revised competence rules under the Electrotechnical Assessment Specification, so anyone carrying out or supervising periodic inspection and testing for a certified business must hold a Level 3 inspection and testing qualification, two years' evidence of doing the work, and a CPD record. The landlord's legal duties under the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 have not changed at all. What has changed is what a report looks like and who may sign it.
Amendment 4: the dates
BS 7671:2018+A4:2026 was issued on 15 April 2026. Until 15 October 2026 both it and the Amendment 3 version are treated as current, and a contractor may use either. From 15 October 2026 the older version is withdrawn. NICEIC says that from that date its certified businesses must be able to show access to Amendment 4 and must issue EICRs to it. The ECA's technical page gives the same withdrawal date.
Installation work designed to Amendment 3 before 15 October 2026 can still be completed and certified to it. For a periodic inspection that distinction does not arise: an EICR is a snapshot against the current standard on the day of inspection, so a report dated on or after 15 October 2026 should be on an Amendment 4 form.
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| 15 April 2026 | BS 7671:2018+A4:2026 published; usable immediately for new work and periodic inspection |
| 15 April to 14 October 2026 | Both Amendment 3 and Amendment 4 current; reports may be issued to either |
| 1 October 2026 | Revised EAS competence requirements for periodic inspection and testing applied by certification bodies |
| 15 October 2026 | BS 7671:2018+A2:2022, Corrigendum 2023 and A3:2024 withdrawn; EICRs to be issued to Amendment 4 |
What changes on the report itself
Most of Amendment 4 is about things a domestic landlord will never see: a new Chapter 57 on stationary batteries, a new Section 716 on Power over Ethernet, a revised Section 710 for medical locations, and protective neutral bonding (PNB) as an earthing arrangement. The changes that matter for a condition report are in Part 6 and Appendix 6, which govern inspection, testing and the model forms.
From NICEIC's published summary of the new forms:
- The declaration must state the correct standard year. An Amendment 4 report says "BS 7671 2026"; an Amendment 3 report says "BS 7671 2024".
- Form references identify the edition: 18.3 for Amendment 3, 18.4 for Amendment 4.
- The observations section is split into two parts. Part 1 holds C1 and C2 observations, which make the overall outcome unsatisfactory. Part 2 holds C3 observations and FI items, which do not affect the outcome.
- FI now means "further investigation is advised". The words "without delay" have been removed.
- PNB can be selected as an earthing arrangement, and for bidirectional protective devices only the British Standard of the device is recorded.
The classification codes themselves keep their meanings: C1 danger present, C2 potentially dangerous, C3 improvement recommended. Our guide to the codes covers what each one typically describes.
The FI change is the one that matters for landlords
Under Amendment 3, an FI observation made the report unsatisfactory. Under Amendment 4, it does not. Only C1 and C2 do.
The IET's explanation, in Wiring Matters in July 2026, is that FI has often been misused. The EICR decides whether an installation is suitable for continued use; fault-finding is remedial work outside the inspection. NICEIC says the change is intended to stop FI being used where there was not enough time to test properly, or as a route to further unevidenced work, and tells contractors to explain it to clients during the transition, because the same two letters mean different things on a 2024 form and a 2026 form.
Here is the catch for a landlord in England. The 2020 Regulations have not been amended. Regulation 3 still requires that where a report indicates further investigative or remedial work is required, the landlord has it carried out within 28 days, or any shorter period the report states, and obtains written confirmation. Whether an FI that a 2026 report merely "advises" is work the report "requires" is a question the regulations do not answer and government guidance has not addressed as of 12 October 2026. The cautious course is to treat an FI exactly as before: get the investigation done within 28 days, keep the written outcome, and let it either clear the item or turn it into a coded defect.
The Level 3 rule from 1 October 2026
The Electrotechnical Assessment Specification is the industry-agreed document that sets what a certified business must show before NICEIC, NAPIT or another body recognises it as competent. The June 2026 issue clarified the qualification requirements for employed persons undertaking periodic inspection and testing and removed one of the previous routes. NICEIC states that the revised requirements apply from 1 October 2026; NAPIT gives the same date.
Every employed person who carries out periodic inspection and testing, and every qualified supervisor responsible for it, must have:
- an acceptable Level 3 qualification in periodic inspection and testing, such as City & Guilds 2391-51 or 2391-52, or an equivalent on the EAS qualifications list;
- at least two years' evidence of undertaking periodic inspection and testing, which NICEIC says can be employer confirmation or completed EICRs going back two years or more;
- evidence of ongoing continuing professional development.
"Employed person" covers directly employed staff, agency workers, subcontracted labour, the self-employed and sole traders. Trainees may still do the work under close supervision. The transition is softer than the headline suggests: NICEIC's FAQ says a business that cannot yet show compliance agrees an action plan with its assessor, and this will not immediately stop it doing EICRs, though it may in future. A report signed after 1 October 2026 by someone without the qualification is therefore not automatically invalid. It is a report whose author may be on an action plan with their own scheme, which is not something you want to discover during an enforcement enquiry.
How to check which edition your report was done to
- The declaration box. "BS 7671 2026" is an Amendment 4 report. "BS 7671 2024" is Amendment 3, acceptable for a report dated before 15 October 2026 and questionable after it.
- The form reference. 18.4 is Amendment 4; 18.3 is Amendment 3.
- The observations layout. A 2026 form separates C1 and C2 from C3 and FI into two parts. A single mixed list is an older form.
A report done to Amendment 3 in, say, August 2026 is valid and does not need redoing. It runs until the next-inspection date it gives, within the five-year maximum.
How to check the inspector is qualified
The 2020 Regulations require a "qualified person", defined as someone competent to undertake the inspection and testing and any further work. They name no qualification and do not require scheme membership. Scheme membership and the Level 3 award are how competence is now evidenced, and the EAS rule makes that explicit for every certified business. Ask for, and keep, the business's scheme registration number, which you can check on the NICEIC or NAPIT online registers, and the individual inspector's inspection and testing certificate by number and awarding body. The EAS requirement attaches to the person who signs, not the firm's letterhead.
| Ask before booking | What a good answer looks like |
|---|---|
| Which edition will the report be issued to? | BS 7671:2018+A4:2026, form 18.4, for any inspection on or after 15 October 2026 |
| Who will carry out the inspection? | A named person, not "one of our engineers" |
| Does that person hold a Level 3 inspection and testing qualification? | 2391-51, 2391-52 or an EAS-listed equivalent, with the certificate number |
| Is the business registered with a certification scheme for periodic inspection and testing? | A registration number you can verify online |
| How will FI items be handled? | Explained as "advised" under Amendment 4, with a quote for investigation if any are raised |
| What will I receive? | The full report with schedule of inspections and schedule of test results, not a one-page summary |
The five-year cycle and the unchanged duties
Nothing in Amendment 4 or the EAS alters the regulations. In England a private landlord must still have the installation inspected and tested by a qualified person at intervals of no more than five years, or sooner if the last report says so; give existing tenants a copy within 28 days; give a new tenant the latest report before occupation; give the council a copy within 7 days of a written request; keep a copy for the next inspector; complete required further investigative or remedial work within 28 days; and obtain and circulate written confirmation. Penalties are up to £30,000 per breach. The full list is in our guide to what the law requires of an EICR.
Two external dates make the file more visible. The PRS Database opens for registration on 15 December 2026 and requires the EICR per property, as covered in our PRS Database guide. And the consultation opened on 9 October 2026 on extending Awaab's Law to private tenancies would put electrical hazards on a statutory clock; the EICR will be the document that shows whether a reported hazard was already known. Remedial work should close with a minor works certificate filed with the EICR it answers, alongside the rest of the electrical records a landlord must hold.
Records you must keep
- ✓The full EICR, showing the edition in the declaration ("BS 7671 2026" from 15 October 2026) and the form reference
- ✓The schedule of inspections and schedule of test results that belong to it
- ✓The inspector's name, scheme registration number and Level 3 inspection and testing certificate details
- ✓For any C1, C2 or FI: the quote, the completion certificate and the written confirmation, all dated within 28 days of the inspection
- ✓Proof the report reached each tenant within 28 days, and new tenants before occupation
- ✓The next-inspection date from the report, in your renewal calendar
- ✓Every previous EICR for the property, not only the current one
Frequently asked questions
Is my EICR invalid if it was done to Amendment 3?
No. A report issued to BS 7671:2018+A3:2024 before 15 October 2026 was issued to a current standard and runs until the next-inspection date it gives, within the five-year maximum. Only reports dated on or after 15 October 2026 should be on Amendment 4 forms.
Does an FI still fail the report?
On an Amendment 4 form, no. Only C1 and C2 observations make the outcome unsatisfactory. FI now means further investigation is advised. On an Amendment 3 form, an FI still made the report unsatisfactory. The 2020 Regulations' 28-day rule for required further investigation has not changed, so treat an FI as something to resolve within 28 days regardless.
What qualification should the inspector have from 1 October 2026?
Under the revised EAS, a person carrying out periodic inspection and testing for a certified business needs a Level 3 inspection and testing qualification such as City & Guilds 2391-51 or 2391-52, two years' evidence of doing the work, and CPD. Ask for the certificate number and the scheme registration.
Does this apply in Scotland and Wales?
BS 7671 and the EAS apply across the UK, so the report format and the competence rule do. The 2020 Regulations and their 28-day rule apply in England only. Scotland's five-yearly inspection duty is covered in our Scottish landlord records guide.