The EICR no longer has a code 4, so it should not reflect the current edition of BS 7671 however the regulations in the CENELEC harmonisation documents are the reason why BS 7671 is some times updated, and no electrician wants to wade through them, and changes in what we use, and also mean we need to up date, electric cars, solar panels use if LED lights have all changed what is required, and manufacturers instructions with items like boilers can stipulate no only RCD protection but also what type.
Unlike an MOT the inspector is not given a book to rigidly follow, he is given some guide lines only, like
this one from the electrical safety first there are others which give different advice but it is left to the inspector to decide what codes to give.
He could give all faults found code C3 which is improvement recommended, and since he has highlighted the fault he has broken no rules, but he can also code as C2 Potentially dangerous or C1 Danger, or even FI further investigation required, and C2, C1 and FI are fails, so all at the whim of the inspector, no one can say he is right or wrong, it is his personal option.
Even the phrase "Electrical installation" the building regulations define it as and BS 7671 However as electricians we tend to divide the testing into two groups, the inspection and testing of in service electrical equipment often called PAT testing, and the EICR, so with the exception of lights, current using equipment comes under PAT testing and the wiring only under the EICR and although we can't dismantle to test, any fault on the DNO side of the installation would be reported.
But for the English landlord law, any item over 18 kg without wheels, or fixed to the fabric of the building should be tested with the EICR, however most electricians would not want to remove the covers of a gas boiler. So we are safer limiting our testing to the non current using part of the installation.
So as a landlord it is a problem, as you are at the whim of the inspector, however I would think some aspects are really down to some common sense. I can live in my house with no RCD protection quite safely as I will not allow others to play, and I have no children or old relatives any more likely to do daft things, when my mother was alive, with Alzheimer's and poor eye sight, she saw a red flicker on an extension lead, (The power neon) so put it in a bucket of water, so to protect her clearly RCD protection of all sockets is required. And as the landlord you have no control over who comes into the home and what they do, from knocking nails in the wall for pictures etc. So in real terms even if not strictly required, one does want RCD protection, the landlord does not want emergency call outs, so all RCBO has to be the way to go.
As to condition of wiring, in 1966 the rules changed on earthing lights, and by that time we had stopped using rubber cables, so wiring after 1966 is likely still OK today. As to down lights, these are not suspended, so must have an earth to the lamp unless extra low voltage, what has caught people out is were extra low voltage has been converted to low voltage, (230 volt) and no earth added, but as to what coding not so sure, I would say C3 would not consider potentially dangerous and give a C2, however the LED lamp runs cool, so with the old tungsten no one in their right mind would try changing a bulb while it was powered up, but today the might.
Also some electricians seem to go beyond their remit, to my mind we are only looking at electrical safety, any other safety inspection is down to some one trained in that aspect, so gas and fire have nothing to do with the EICR but I have heard of electricians giving a C2 to out of date smoke detectors.
This forum is full of arguments about what should be included, but in most cases if the landlord had followed is morrow responsibility then argument would not have existed, as a owner occupier I can make the selection RCD or not, and I have all RCBO's, but as a tenant I don't have the option, so I feel with rented accommodation RCD protection is required. Although I also feel it is not a legal requirement, but would be a very poor landlord who does not provide it. But once an inspector has coded it as code C2, your hands are tied.
