Landlord Gas Safety in England: What You Actually Have to Do

The rules in short

• Annual check of every gas appliance and flue, by a Gas Safe registered engineer
• Copy to the existing tenant within 28 days of the check
• Copy to any new tenant before they move in
• Records kept for two years
• Maintenance of appliances and pipework in a safe condition at all times

These come from the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. Since 2018 you have been able to carry out the check up to two months before the expiry date without losing the remaining time — the new certificate still runs from the old expiry, so there is no reason to leave it late.

What it covers, and what it does not

A CP12 is a safety check. It confirms the appliances are safe on the day of the visit. It is not a service — it does not clean the burner, strip the boiler or tune it. Landlords who assume a certificate protects them from mid-tenancy breakdowns are regularly disappointed. Adding a basic service is £50 on the same visit and materially reduces breakdown risk.

Appliances the tenant owns

You are responsible for the appliances and installation you provide. If a tenant brings their own gas cooker, you remain responsible for the installation pipework and the connection point, but not the appliance itself. You should still check the connection is safe — and record that you did.

When the tenant will not let you in

This is the most common reason a certificate lapses, and "the tenant refused" is only a defence if you can prove you took all reasonable steps. That means: written access requests, repeated attempts, a clear explanation to the tenant that it is a safety and legal requirement, and a documented record of every attempt. Do not force entry. Keep the paper trail.

We text tenants directly to arrange access, send a reminder, and report attempts back to you in writing.

What happens if you do not comply

Penalties can include unlimited fines and, in serious cases, imprisonment. More immediately for most landlords: a lapsed certificate can invalidate landlord insurance and blocks the service of a valid Section 21 notice, which can cost you months.

Costs

£90 for a CP12 covering a boiler and cooker, £45 for each additional appliance such as a gas fire, £50 to add a basic boiler service, £80 for an intermediate service. If you hold five or more properties we will run a rolling schedule so certificates never lapse.

Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms

Separate rules, and worth knowing: since October 2022, English landlords must fit a carbon monoxide alarm in any room used as living accommodation that contains a fixed combustion appliance, excluding gas cookers, and must repair or replace alarms reported as faulty. We will check placement and tell you if yours is in the wrong spot.

Written by the engineering team at Synergy Gas & Plumbing, Gas Safe registered 594385. Last reviewed August 2026.