Landlord Gas Safety Certificates – A Guide for Local Landlords

What the law requires

Landlords must have every gas appliance and flue in a rented property checked annually by a Gas Safe registered engineer, and must provide tenants with a copy of the resulting Landlord Gas Safety Record (often called a CP12) within 28 days of the check, or before a new tenant moves in.

What gets checked

• Boilers and any other gas-fired heating appliances
• Gas cookers and hobs, if supplied by the landlord
• Gas fires
• Flues and ventilation associated with each appliance
• Gas pipework and connections where accessible

Record keeping and timing

Certificates must be renewed within 12 months of the previous check, and landlords are legally required to keep copies of gas safety records for at least two years. It's worth booking the next check a few weeks before the current one expires, to avoid any gap in compliance if an appointment needs rescheduling.

What happens if an issue is found

If an appliance is found to be unsafe, a Gas Safe engineer is required to take appropriate action, which can range from advising against use, to disconnecting the appliance immediately if it presents an immediate danger. Landlords should budget for the possibility of a repair being needed at the same visit.

Combining checks to save time

Many landlords choose to have the gas safety check and annual boiler service carried out at the same time, since an engineer is already on site checking the boiler's condition and safety. This is often more convenient and cost-effective than booking two separate visits.

Your legal duties under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998

The core legal duty comes from the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, which place three main obligations on landlords of rented properties containing gas appliances: maintaining pipework, appliances and flues in a safe condition, having an annual safety check carried out on every gas appliance and flue by a Gas Safe registered engineer, and keeping a record of each safety check for at least two years. On top of the annual check, the regulations also require appliances and flues supplied by the landlord to be properly maintained in line with the manufacturer's instructions, which usually means an appropriate service interval as well as the annual safety inspection.

New tenants versus existing tenants

A new tenant must be given a copy of the current gas safety record before they move in, or as soon as reasonably practicable afterwards. Existing tenants must be given a copy within 28 days of each annual check being carried out. For properties let via a new fixed-term or periodic tenancy, it's good practice to confirm the gas safety record is in date before the tenancy starts, rather than relying on a check carried out towards the end of a previous tenancy.

What an engineer inspects during a landlord gas safety check

• Each gas appliance is checked to confirm it's operating safely and burning gas correctly
• Flues and ventilation are inspected to ensure combustion gases are being safely removed
• Gas pipework and connections are checked for soundness where accessible
• Safety devices are tested to confirm they shut the appliance down correctly in a fault condition
• Appliance casings, seals and stability are checked, since a poorly fitted or unstable appliance is a genuine hazard

Consequences of not complying

Beyond the safety risk to tenants, failing to arrange annual gas safety checks can result in enforcement action from the Health and Safety Executive, and can also cause serious complications if a landlord ever needs to serve a Section 21 notice, since an in-date gas safety record is one of the documents that must have been provided to the tenant for certain notices to be valid. It's a legal duty that's straightforward to stay on top of with a diary reminder, but has real consequences if it lapses.

Gas safety for landlords in Cheam, Sutton and the surrounding areas

We carry out landlord gas safety checks regularly across Cheam, Sutton, Wallington and the wider local area, including for landlords managing several properties who want their renewal dates coordinated to make scheduling simpler. Booking ahead of the expiry date, rather than right up against it, gives room to sort any repair identified during the check without risking a gap in compliance.