The compliance question under Awaab’s Law isn’t “did you do the work” — it’s “can you prove it the way the auditor wants to see it”. The work is the easy part. The evidence pack is where housing associations fail audits, and it’s where most contractor relationships fall over. Here’s the anatomy of a pack that survives first read.
The NICEIC EIC and EICR — what each certificate actually proves
Two certificate types do the heavy lifting:
- Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC): Issued when a new circuit or installation is created. Proves the new work meets BS 7671. Required for consumer-unit upgrades, full rewires, new EV circuits.
- Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR): Issued every 5 years for the periodic inspection. Reports the condition of the existing installation, with observations classified C1 / C2 / C3 / FI.
An auditor looks for an EICR within the last 5 years on every property, plus an EIC for any work since the last EICR. Both must be NICEIC-branded and signed by the inspecting engineer’s named NICEIC enrolment number.
The circuit register an auditor expects
An EICR is meaningless without a circuit register that names every distribution circuit. A compliant register lists:
- Circuit number, type (lighting, ring final, radial), location.
- Cable size and protective device rating.
- Earthing arrangement at the consumer unit (TN-S / TN-C-S / TT).
- Test results for each circuit — continuity, insulation resistance, polarity, earth fault loop impedance, RCD trip time.
- Any observation classification (C1, C2, C3, FI) attached to that specific circuit.
If your current contractor delivers the EICR without the register, you have a certificate but not an audit trail.
Remedials triage — C1, C2, C3, FI
The classifications drive priority and SLA:
- C1 — Danger present: Risk of injury. Must be made safe immediately, ideally before the engineer leaves site.
- C2 — Potentially dangerous: Urgent remedial action required. Typical target: 28 days.
- C3 — Improvement recommended: Not immediately dangerous. Triaged into capital planning.
- FI — Further investigation: Requires deeper inspection. The investigation must be booked, not deferred indefinitely.
The remedials log sits alongside the EICR and tracks every observation through to clearance, with dates and the engineer responsible. An open C2 with no clearance date is the easiest audit finding to spot.
Tenant-side documentation
Awaab’s Law-grade evidence isn’t just about the electrical work — it’s about the tenant relationship around the work:
- Notification: Written notice of the appointment, with date, window and engineer name. Sent in the tenant’s preferred channel.
- Attendance: Time-stamped log — engineer arrived, work commenced, work complete, engineer left.
- Completion: Tenant signature or photographic evidence that the work was completed and the property left clean.
- Refusal protocol: Documented if the tenant refused access — what was attempted, when, escalation taken.
The Ombudsman cares about the tenant journey as much as the electrical journey. The pack should evidence both.
Sample folder structure
The pack should sit in a structured folder per property, addressable by UPRN or address:
01-EICR-2026.pdf— current EICR, signed.02-Circuit-Register.pdf— circuit-by-circuit register.03-Remedials-Log.xlsx— open and cleared remedials with dates.04-Tenant-Comms/— notifications, attendance, completion records.05-Photo-Evidence/— CU photo, earthing arrangement, any C1/C2 finding.06-Prior-EIC/— every EIC issued since the previous EICR.
What to do next
If you’re auditing your own compliance file ahead of an Ombudsman or Regulator visit, JP Electrical & EV Solutions can run a documentation audit against the property portfolio and rebuild any gaps. NICEIC-approved, Part P compliant, Leeds-based team, available 24/7 for in-flight remedials clearance.
Request a documentation audit or template pack via our housing association electrical services page, or read more about our EICR testing service in Leeds.
FAQ
How long should we retain an EICR and its evidence pack?
Retain the full pack for the life of the installation plus 6 years after the next inspection cycle replaces it. For HA stock, indefinite retention via a stock-management system is the working standard.
Can a tenant refuse access to the property for an EICR?
A tenant can decline an appointment. The landlord’s obligation is to evidence reasonable attempts, escalate through tenancy management, and document the refusal trail — not to force entry.
Who signs off the remedials log — the contractor or the asset manager?
The contractor signs technical clearance. The asset manager signs that the work matches the original observation and the cost was authorised. Both signatures should appear on each cleared remedial.