Landlord Gas Safety Certificates: What You Need and When

If you let a property with gas appliances, the law requires an annual gas safety check by a Gas Safe registered engineer. Give the record to existing tenants within 28 days, to new tenants before they move in, and keep it two years. You can check up to two months early without losing your renewal date.

That's the whole legal position in four sentences. The detail below is worth reading if you're new to letting, have just taken on another property, or have lost track of when yours is due.

What the law actually requires

The duties come from the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. Three obligations sit on the landlord.

An annual safety check on every gas appliance and flue in the property. Twelve months, every year, no exceptions for short tenancies or holiday lets.

Maintenance of the appliances and pipework in a safe condition. That's separate from the check, and it means dealing with faults rather than just recording them.

A record given to tenants and kept on file.

It's the landlord's duty, not the tenant's and not the letting agent's, unless you've explicitly contracted the agent to manage it.

Who can carry it out

Only a Gas Safe registered engineer. Nobody else, whatever their experience.

You're entitled to ask to see the card before work starts, and the card lists which types of gas work that particular engineer is qualified for. It's worth a look - being registered for boilers doesn't automatically mean being registered for, say, gas fires.

The record, and who gets it

The document is officially a gas safety record. Most people still call it a CP12, which was the old form number, and everyone in the trade will know what you mean.

Existing tenants must get a copy within 28 days of the check.

New tenants must get a copy before they move in, not on the day and not afterwards.

You must keep the record for two years.

That last one catches people out. Two years means you'll usually be holding two certificates at any one time, and if a dispute or an insurance claim ever comes up, the old one matters as much as the current one.

The two-month rule, and why it helps

Since 2018, you can carry out the annual check up to two months before it's due and keep the original renewal date.

So if your certificate expires on 1 December, you can have the check done any time from 1 October, and your next deadline stays 1 December rather than shifting to October

.

This is genuinely useful. It means you can group several properties into one visit, or get the check done in autumn before engineers are at their busiest, without gradually walking your renewal date backwards each year.

If you leave it and go past the expiry date, you've broken the law from the moment it lapsed. There's no grace period at the other end.

What happens if you don't

The penalties are not trivial. Failure to hold a valid gas safety record is a criminal offence and can bring an unlimited fine and, in serious cases, a prison sentence.

There are practical consequences too. Your landlord insurance may not pay out on a gas-related claim if you can't produce a current record. And in England, you cannot serve a valid Section 21 notice if you haven't given the tenant a gas safety record.

That last point surprises a lot of landlords. A missing certificate doesn't just risk a fine - it can leave you unable to end a tenancy when you need to.

What the check does and doesn't cover

A gas safety check confirms that appliances are safe to use. The engineer checks gas tightness, burner pressure, flue performance, ventilation and that safety devices work.

It is not a service. A service is a more thorough clean and inspection of the appliance itself, and it's what most manufacturers require to keep a warranty valid.

Plenty of landlords assume the annual check keeps the boiler in good order. It doesn't - it confirms the boiler isn't dangerous. Those are different things, and it's why we usually recommend having the service done at the same visit rather than separately.

If a tenant won't let you in

You still have to try. Keep a written record of every attempt: letters, texts, emails, dates.

Write to the tenant explaining that the check is a legal requirement and there for their safety. If access is still refused, take advice before forcing entry, because doing that wrongly creates a different problem. Documented, repeated, reasonable attempts are what protect you.

Frequently asked questions

How often is a landlord gas safety check needed? Every 12 months, on every gas appliance and flue in the property.

What's the difference between a CP12 and a gas safety certificate? Nothing. CP12 is the old form number, and the name stuck.

How long do I keep the records? Two years.

Can I do the check early? Yes, up to two months early, and your renewal date stays the same.

Does the check include a boiler service? No. They're separate jobs, and it's usually worth booking both together.

What if I have several properties? The two-month rule lets you bring them into line so they can be done in one visit.

Booking your gas safety certificates

We carry out landlord gas safety checks across Bromley, Sidcup, Bexleyheath, Orpington and Dartford, and can do the service at the same visit so it's one appointment rather than two.

If you've got several properties, tell us, and we'll work out the dates that let you group them.

Call 020 8087 0799 or get in touch here.