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Electrics and gas

What does GOV.UK say a C2 code means, and why is that not a RICS condition rating 2?

GOV.UK’s rental electrical guidance says code C2 means potentially dangerous. A RICS condition rating 2 means repair or replacement that is not serious or urgent. The numbers match by accident. They are different scales, written by different people, for different jobs. A home survey does not award a C2, and an EICR does not award a condition rating.

Last reviewed 24 October 2026. Written for buyers in England and Wales unless this answer says otherwise. No named surveyor has signed this page. It is general guidance, not a report on your house, and not legal advice.

What is the fuller explanation?

The same guidance is for landlords, not a duty on an owner-occupier seller. It also defines C1 as danger present, C3 as improvement recommended, and FI as further investigation without delay. C3, on that page, does not stop the report being satisfactory. None of those sentences is the Level 3 description of a rating. If you have both documents, read each key. Do not add C2 to rating 2 and call the electrics a four.

Who pays for remedial work is still a negotiation if you are buying. There is no RICS price for clearing a C2. Do not tell a seller they broke a landlord law if they were not a landlord. Do not tell an electrician to use RICS colours.

What should you ask your surveyor?

  • Did your survey test the circuits, or only look?
  • If an EICR exists, which codes does it actually list?
  • Are you translating those codes into ratings? You should not.

What are the typical next steps?

  1. Keep the EICR and the home survey in separate notes.
  2. Ask an electrician what a C2 on this report requires. Do not ask the surveyor to clear it.
  3. Do not match the digits and pretend the scales agree.

Costs vary with the building and with who you instruct. Where this page does not cite a published figure, ask the surveyor, a relevant specialist, or your solicitor for a written quote. Do not treat a forum average as the price.

Also asked about this

Can a satisfactory EICR still contain a C3?

Yes. GOV.UK says further remedial work is not required for a C3 for the report to be satisfactory. Read the list anyway.

Does FI mean the same as a survey’s further investigation?

Only in ordinary English. FI is the electrician’s code. The survey’s phrase is the surveyor’s. Do not swap the forms.

Sources