Landlord Gas Safety certificates: A comprehensive guide

It's essential that landlords are clued up when it comes to gas appliances and safety regulations.

Not only are annual landlord Gas Safety records a legal requirement in the UK (without them, you run the risk of paying a hefty fine), but they also guarantee the safety of your tenants.

In this comprehensive guide, we tell you everything you need to know about Gas Safety Certificates - from what they entail, how long they take, to how much they cost and what happens if you don't pass the safety check.

What is a Gas Safety Certificate?

As a landlord, you are required to prove that all gas appliances in your rental properties are safe for tenants to use.

A Gas Safety Certificate (or Gas Safety Check Record) is a document issued by a registered Gas Safe engineer to confirm that you have met your legal duties to have the appropriate annual gas safety check completed on all the gas equipment in the property.

Not only are you at risk of receiving a huge fine (and even up to 6 months in jail) if you fail to get your gas safety certificate as a landlord, you could be putting your tenants in danger if a gas appliance, like your boiler, is faulty due to lack of maintenance or poor installation.

Gas Safety Certificates include the following:

• The location and a description of every gas appliance
• The gas engineer's details (name, registration number, signature)
• The date of the inspection
• The property's address
• Details on any gas safety problems or faults detected and how they can be fixed

What Gas Safety regulations are landlords responsible for?

In 1998 the Gas Safety Regulations (Installation and Use) made it a legal requirement for landlords and letting agents to guarantee the safety of their gas appliances and fittings in their rental homes and properties.

This means landlords are responsible for ensuring the safety of:

• All gas appliances
• The pipework connected to the gas appliances
• The flues from the gas appliance

Annual Gas Safety checks of every gas appliance and system in the rental property are performed to ensure that everything is in a safe working order.

What is the difference between a Gas Safety Certificate and a CP12 certificate?

There are a few different certificates relating to gas safety that can cause confusion but CP12 and a Landlord Gas Safety Certificate refer to the same document.

But why the different names? CP12 is short for CORGI Proforma 12, which was written between 1991 and 2009 when the Council For Registered Gas Installers was operating as the official gas safety regulatory body.

However, this organisation was replaced in April 2009 by the Gas Safe Register, which led to the document being called the Landlord Gas Safety Certificate, or the Landlord Gas Safety Record. 

How long does a Gas Safety check take?

Generally, a Gas Safety check will take about 30 to 60 minutes.

The bigger your property, or the more gas appliances you own, the longer it will take. If any of your appliances require urgent repairs, the process may take longer.

You can assist in the inspection being smoother and faster by making sure the gas engineers will have easy access to all of the gas appliances and equipment on your property.

What is involved in a Gas Safety check?

To ensure that your rental property meets all the necessary Gas Safety requirements, the Gas Safe Registered engineer will check your gas installation pipework by carrying out a soundness/tightness test (ensuring no gas leaks are present), all of your gas appliances, such as a gas boiler, water heater, hob, stove, oven, and fireplace..

An annual Gas Safety check involves the engineer doing the following (where applicable):

• Visually inspecting all the gas appliances
• Inspecting and recording the heat input and gas pressure
• Checking for gas leaks by doing a tightness test at the gas meter
• Visually examine the gas pipework (so far as reasonably practicable)
• Testing the flue gases of the appliances
• Inspecting the flue and ventilation provision and routes 
• Testing safety devices 
• Checking the operation and suitable location of Carbon Monoxide detectors

After all of these steps have been completed and if the engineer deems everything to be in safe working order, you will be provided with a Gas Certificate.

To note: Annual Gas Safety checks are not the same as a gas or boiler service. If any of your appliances need to be repaired, this will be separate from the Gas Safety check.

How often do I need to do a Landlord Gas Safety inspection?

It's a legal requirement for landlords to renew their Gas Safety Certificates every 12 months. 

According to the Gas Safety Regulations, landlords have two months before their current Gas Safety record has expired to renew it. This means that it can be restored anytime during months 11 and 12 of the existing Gas Certificate.

Once the inspection has been completed, the new Gas Safety record will be dated to expire in 12 months from the last day of the previous 'deadline'.

For instance, let's say your Gas Safety certificate expires on 4 April 2023, and you decide to renew it on 1 March 2023; your new certificate will remain valid until 4 April 2024 (so you aren't losing out on any days).

However, this MOT-style system of gas certification renewal is only available if the landlord can provide proof of their previous two Gas Safety checks being performed on time.

Who can provide the landlord Gas Safety Certificate?

Only Gas Safe Registered engineers are certified to perform a Gas Safety check on your property and issue you with a Gas Safety Certificate or CP12.

If you would like to confirm that an engineer has a valid registration, you can do the following:

• Search for their name on the Gas Safe website.
• Ask for their Gas Safe Registration card (the back of the card will detail which areas of gas they specialise in).

How much does a Gas Safety Certificate cost?

The price for a Gas Safety Certificate varies from company to company, but it can cost you as little as £35 and up to £150, also depending on the number of gas appliances owned.

It's also important to keep in mind that the quote you receive for the gas inspection won't include possible repairs or replacements that need to be made to pass the safety check.

What if I don't pass the safety check? 

If the engineer finds any faults with your gas appliances, they will note it on the Gas Safety Certificate by checking the "Safety Related Defect(s)" box.

Below are the two different codes indicated on Gas Certificates to show the degree of risk with appliances not deemed as safe to use:

1. At-Risk (AR): The gas appliance or installation has at least one defect that could become dangerous and cause harm to life or property.
2. Immediately Dangerous (ID): The gas appliance or installation is extremely dangerous and if operated or left connected to a gas supply is considered to be an immediate danger to life or property.

For ID and AR, the engineer will ask for your permission to disconnect the gas supply to that appliance and then advise you on the repairs required to solve the problems and make it safe again.

It's best that the repairs are carried out as soon as possible to avoid putting your tenants in danger, but if they can't be done straight away, it's your responsibility as the landlord to make sure the appliances aren't used at all.

At BOXT, we offer fixed prices on boiler repairs and installations and next-day delivery (subject to availability).

Is it the landlord's right to enter the property to carry out Gas Safety checks?

It's required that landlords give their tenants a minimum of 24 hours of written notice before they enter the property for any reason, including for Gas Safety checks.

You should always keep a record of the contact you make with your tenants and the notice you have given, just in case they refuse to give you access.

In the unfortunate event that this is the case and, as a result, your Gas Safety Certificate expires, you should take all reasonable steps to ensure a Landlord’s Gas Safety check is carried out, including writing to the tenant/s and keeping a record of any action who have taken to ensure the certificate is completed in a timely manner.  

The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations or GSIUR does not give powers to force disconnection in circumstances where entry was not gained to complete the checks. In this unlikely circumstance, you would need to seek legal advice.

Be Gas Safe today with help from BOXT

Here at BOXT, we always want to provide you with the information you need. It’s important that landlords have the right certifications for their property to ensure their tenants are living under safe and secure conditions. 

Get your boiler installed or serviced with the help of BOXT today. We work with the best Gas Safe engineers who can offer higher quality of work that can give you some peace of mind. For more information, check out our other boiler guides.