Landlord gas safety record (CP12): what the law requires

If you rent out a home with gas appliances, a gas safety check every year is a legal requirement. The Office for National Statistics reports that 19% of UK households were in the private rented sector in the year ending March 2024, so duties like this one reach a large share of homes. This guide sets out what the rules ask of landlords and agents. It follows GOV.UK guidance for England and Health and Safety Executive (HSE) guidance for Great Britain, checked on 11 October 2026. It is general information, not legal advice.

What the annual duty covers

GOV.UK says a landlord must make sure gas equipment they supply is safely installed and maintained by a Gas Safe registered engineer, and must have a registered engineer carry out an annual gas safety check on each appliance and flue. All gas work must be done by a Gas Safe registered engineer. HSE advises checking that the engineer is competent for the specific type of gas work, which is marked on the back of their Gas Safe card. Our guide on how to check an engineer's registration walks through that step.

The duty covers appliances, fittings and flues you provide for tenants, including those in communal areas that tenants may use. If a tenant owns an appliance you did not provide, HSE says you remain responsible for parts of the installation and pipework but not for the appliance itself. LPG appliances follow the same rules as natural gas.

Deadlines at a glance

HSE's record-keeping guidance sets out the deadlines. In summary:

HSE says a landlord or engineer can send the record electronically if the tenant agrees and can access it, but a paper copy must be provided on request. For stays under 28 days, such as holiday lets, you can display a legible copy in a prominent place instead.

Timing of the check

The check is annual. Under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) (Amendment) Regulations 2018, HSE says you can have it done up to two months before the due date and still keep the original deadline, as if the check had happened exactly 12 months after the last one. You will need to show you completed it within that window, so keep the dates clear. As a worked example, if a check was completed on 10 March 2026, the next is due by 10 March 2027, and a check done on or after 10 January 2027 would still keep that March 2027 deadline.

New appliances need a check within 12 months of installation, and then every year after that. Between tenancies, HSE says you should make sure appliances and flues are safe and that there is an up-to-date record before you re-let. If the property stood empty and you suspect tampering, HSE recommends another check before new tenants move in.

What must the record contain?

HSE lists the minimum contents of a landlord gas safety record:

1. A description and location of each appliance or flue checked.
2. The name, registration number and signature of the person who did the check.
3. The date of the check.
4. The address of the property.
5. The name and address of the landlord, or their agent.
6. Any safety-related defect found and any action taken to fix it.
7. Confirmation that the check included the matters in regulation 26(9)(a) to (d) of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998.

HSE adds that a record issued after 1 April 2009 is only valid if the engineer is registered with the Gas Safe Register. The engineer should issue the record on completion even if defects were found. HSE says to add notes on any follow-up repairs to the same record, so it shows the full history of the property.

Keeping the record

HSE says records must be kept for at least two years. Electronic storage is fine if the copy can be reproduced on paper, is secure, and identifies the engineer who did the check, for instance by a signature or licence number.

What if the tenant will not allow access?

HSE says a landlord must show they took all reasonable steps. Its landlord FAQ recommends leaving a notice after a missed visit, writing to explain that the check is a legal requirement and offering the tenant the chance to arrange their own appointment, and keeping copies of all correspondence. HSE inspectors, it says, will look for at least three attempts, though a court decides what was reasonable. You must not use force to enter. If the situation turns into a dispute about access, a notice period or the tenancy itself, speak to a property solicitor. MyLocalSolicitors is a sister directory where you can find one.

Other points that catch landlords out

• You cannot hand the duty to the tenant. HSE says a tenancy agreement cannot transfer these responsibilities.
• Sub-letting does not remove your duty. If you are the original landlord, HSE says you remain responsible, and a wholly sub-let property needs a contract that clearly allocates the task.
• Carbon monoxide alarms. From 1 October 2022, HSE says relevant landlords in England must provide an alarm in any room used as living accommodation that contains a fixed combustion appliance, excluding gas cookers.
• Heating switched off after a check. If an engineer disconnects an unsafe appliance, HSE says you must provide your tenant with emergency heating while the repair is arranged.
• Penalties. HSE says breaking the regulations could result in a substantial fine, a custodial sentence or both.

If a tenant reports a gas smell, HSE says to call the National Grid Gas Emergency freephone number, 0800 111 999, open doors and windows and turn off the gas at the meter control valve if possible.

Finding an engineer

HSE's FAQ says Gas Safe Register has no control over engineers' charges and advises getting quotes from three engineers. You can compare plumbers and heating engineers by area through our city pages, or read our page on gas safety certificates. Ask each engineer to confirm the type of gas work on their card covers every appliance in the property.