Landlord Gas Safety Certificates: Rules, Deadlines and Penalties

What the law requires

The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 require landlords to:

• Have each gas appliance, fitting and flue they provide checked every 12 months.
• Use a Gas Safe registered engineer for the check.
• Give tenants a copy of the gas safety record.
• Keep records of each check.
• Maintain gas pipework, appliances and flues in a safe condition.

These duties apply to appliances you provide. If a tenant brings their own gas appliance, you aren't responsible for checking it, though you remain responsible for the pipework and any flue serving it.

What the annual gas safety check covers

During the check, the engineer will test each appliance and flue to make sure it is safe to use and working correctly. That typically includes checking gas tightness, ventilation, flue operation and the burner pressure or heat input.

The engineer then gives you a gas safety record, often called a CP12 or landlord gas safety certificate. It lists each appliance checked, any defects found and any action taken or needed. If an appliance is found to be unsafe, the engineer may disconnect it, and you must have it repaired or replaced before it's used again.

A gas safety check is not the same as a full service, though many landlords arrange both at the same visit to keep appliances in good working order.

Deadlines and record keeping

• Existing tenants: give them a copy of the record within 28 days of the check.
• New tenants: give them a copy before they move in.
• Records: keep each gas safety record for at least two years.

To keep the same annual date, you can have the next check carried out up to two months before the deadline without losing the time you have left. That makes it easier to plan around tenants' availability.

Keep proof of how and when you gave the record to your tenant, such as an email or a signed copy. Your gas, electrical and EPC paperwork can all be needed when you register on the new landlord database from December 2026.

Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms

Since October 2022, landlords in England must:

• Fit a smoke alarm on every storey used wholly or partly as living accommodation.
• Fit a carbon monoxide alarm in any room with a fixed combustion appliance, such as a gas boiler or wood burner. Gas cookers are excluded.
• Check the alarms work on the first day of each new tenancy.
• Repair or replace faulty alarms once you're told about a problem.

Carbon monoxide has no smell or colour, so a working alarm is a vital safeguard alongside the annual gas check.

Getting access to the property

You need access to carry out the annual check, and you should give your tenant reasonable notice, normally at least 24 hours in writing. If your tenant won't allow access, keep a record of every attempt, such as letters, emails and appointment dates.

The Health and Safety Executive expects landlords to take all reasonable steps to carry out the check. Keeping clear evidence of your attempts shows that you've done what you can if access is refused.

Penalties for not complying

Failing to carry out gas safety checks is a criminal offence. It can lead to unlimited fines or imprisonment, and in the worst cases a tenant's injury or death. The Health and Safety Executive enforces the rules.

Gas safety paperwork also matters if you need to regain possession. Making sure your gas, electrical and deposit paperwork is in order protects your position, especially now section 21 has been abolished. See our guide to regaining possession after section 21.

The bottom line

Gas safety comes down to a simple routine: an annual check by a Gas Safe registered engineer, a copy of the record for your tenant within 28 days, records kept for at least two years, and working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. Get those right and you protect your tenants, your property and your ability to regain possession. A managing agent can book and track checks for you; find a letting agent near you.

This guide is general information about England as of October 2026 and is not legal advice. In a gas emergency, call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999.