Landlord's Responsibility. Gas Safety Guide & Certificate

Gas Safety Certificate Guide Content

• Gas safety: The Landlord’s Responsibility
• What is a Gas Safety Certificate?
• Which appliances need to be checked?
• Do I need a Gas Safety Certificate?
• How often should I renew my Gas Safety Certificate?
• Where should I keep my Gas Safety Certificate?
• Does each property I own need a Gas Safety Certificate?
• How do I get the certificate?
• How do I book a Gas Safety check?
• Can my usual gas technician provide a Gas Safety Certificate?
• How much does it cost?
• What happens if I don’t have one?
• What if I can’t access my property?
• Further information

Gas safety: The Landlord’s Responsibility

If you are a landlord and your property is equipped with any gas appliances then you have three primary responsibilities for gas safety within the property.

1. Maintenance. You are responsible for maintaining the gas appliances and installations including the pipework, appliances and flues. Any work on these must be checked by a Gas Safe engineer. 
2. Gas Safety Certificates. Every year, you must secure a Gas Safety Certificate. This certificate is awarded following a Gas Safety check by a registered engineer. The safety check will make sure that everything is working as it should and that the gas appliances are safe to use.
3. Record keeping. You must provide your tenants with a copy of the Gas Safety Certificate within 28 days of the check being completed. You should also give a copy to new tenants before they move in.

What is a Gas Safety Certificate?

A Gas Safety Certificate, also known as a CP12 or a Gas Safety Record,  is a document which confirms a Gas Safety check has been carried out at a specific property. The Gas Safety Certificate can only be completed by a Gas Safe registered engineer.

Your Gas Safety Certificate will look like this: 

This is an important document that confirms all gas appliances and installations within a property are safe to use.

Which appliances need to be checked?

You are responsible for all gas appliances that you make available to a tenant. This includes gas boilers, gas ovens, gas stoves and any handheld appliances that use gas. If the tenant brings a gas appliance into the property, they are responsible for ensuring it is safe to use.

Do I need a Gas Safety Certificate?

If your property has gas appliances you have a legal obligation to provide a Gas Safety Certificate before you let your property. The Gas Safety Regulations 1998 place responsibility on the landlord to ensure that all gas appliances and fixtures are well maintained and safe to use.

How often should I renew my Gas Safety Certificate?

Your Gas Safety Certificate lasts for 12 months, so you should schedule a safety check on all of your gas appliances every year. Up until April 6th 2018, a Gas Safety Certificate would last for 12 months from the date of the last inspection. This led many landlords to secure a safety check every 10-11 months to ensure that there was no lapse in coverage.

However, this was deemed to be unfair on landlords since the Gas Safety Certificates would overlap and they would have to pay more for a shorter period of time. The rules have now been changed so that any Gas Safety check performed within the last two months of a current Gas Safety Certificate will be treated as if it had been performed on the last day of the current certificate.

If you have a new gas appliance installed, you do not need a new Gas Safety Certificate. You do not have to renew your current certificate when new residents move in, you simply have to provide them with a copy of the current valid certificate.

Where should I keep my Gas Safety Certificate?

You must keep your Gas Safety Certificate in a safe place. You should keep the original Gas Safety Certificate and provide your tenants with a copy within 28 days of the checks being carried out. New tenants will need a copy of the certificate before they can move into the property.

Does each property I own need a Gas Safety Certificate?

Yes. If you own multiple properties, you will need an individual Gas Safety Certificate for each property. Whether you have one property or 15 properties, you will need a separate Gas Safety Certificate for each one.

How do I get the certificate?

To secure your Gas Safety Certificate, you will need to find a Gas Safe registered engineer. You can call 0800 408 5500 to find one in your area. 

How do I book a Gas Safety check?

To book a Gas Safety check, you will need to contact a Gas Safe registered engineer. With YourRepair, your annual Gas Safety check is included in all landlord cover packages.

Can my usual gas technician provide a Gas Safety Certificate?

Yes, but only if your engineer is fully qualified and gas safe registered. To legally carry out Gas Safety checks and to issue Gas Safety Certificates, an engineer must be on the Gas Safe Register.

What is a Gas Safe registered engineer?

Only a Gas Safe engineer can issue a Gas Safety Certificate. Before allowing anyone to work on gas appliances or installations in your home or at one of your rental properties, you should always ask to see their Gas Safe Register ID card. All Gas Safe engineers will carry one of these cards.

How much does it cost?

The cost of your Gas Safety Certificate will vary depending on the following factors:

• Location. Where you are based will often dictate the price of your Gas Safety check. London will typically be more expensive than other places in the country.
• How many properties you have. Some Gas Safe engineers will offer a deal if you have multiple properties that need to be checked.
• If you have landlord boiler cover, such as that offered by YourRepair, the cost of your annual safety checks will be included in your monthly payment.

If you do not have landlord boiler cover, then a single Gas Safety check could cost in the region of £60 - £100. It’s best to shop around if you are looking for a good deal, but be sure to check the credentials of anyone offering to carry out Gas Safety checks. If they are a lot cheaper than competitors, be sure to check their Gas Safe ID in advance.

What happens if I don’t have one?

Gas Safety Certificates are required by law. If you rent out a property that does not have a valid Gas Safe Certificate, you could risk a fine and even imprisonment.

What if I can’t access my property?

If a tenant is being difficult for whatever reason and will not allow access to the property for the Gas Safety checks to be carried out, you must take all reasonable steps to gain access. Gas Safety is the landlord’s responsibility, so you cannot simply give up if the tenant refuses access.

You must give your tenant 24 hours’ notice and they must agree to the inspection before you can enter the property. If the tenant refuses entry, you must keep trying. In the rare event that your tenant will not allow access to the property, consider the following steps:

• Send a strongly worded letter to your tenant explaining why you need access to the property and what the safety checks will entail. Send the letter by recorded delivery and then give the tenant 14 days to respond. You can try this up to three times before taking the next step.
• Contact your local council and ask if they can explain to the tenant why the Gas Safety checks are required. Often, hearing this from someone “official” will encourage the tenant to allow access.
• Consider starting the eviction process with a Section 21 notice.
• Apply to the courts for an injunction order to gain access to your property.

Only in an emergency will a landlord be allowed to gain access to a property by force. This would include situations such as a flood or fire.

Further information

To find out more about gas safety and your obligations as a landlord, you can go to the Gas Safe Register website or the HSE website. This will tell you more about Gas Safety, Gas Safety Certificates and Gas Safe Registered Engineers.