Your landlord must have a registered engineer do an annual gas safety check on each gas appliance and flue they provide. They must give you a copy of the gas safety check record before you move in, or within 28 days of the check. Gas equipment they supply must be installed and maintained by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
Key points
✓The check can be done up to 2 months early while keeping the original deadline date.
✓A tenancy agreement cannot be used to transfer the landlord's gas safety duties to the tenant.
✓If a tenant will not give access, HSE inspectors look for at least three attempts to do the check.
✓Landlord duties for LPG appliances are the same as for natural gas.
What does a landlord have to do?
Duty
When
Have each appliance and flue they provide checked for safety by a Gas Safe registered engineer
Within 12 months of installation, then every 12 months
Give each existing tenant a copy of the record
Within 28 days of the check
Give a new tenant a copy of the last record
Before they move in
Keep the record of the safety check
For 2 years
Maintain pipework, appliances and flues provided for tenants, through a Gas Safe registered engineer
Ongoing
Landlords must only use a Gas Safe registered engineer for maintenance and safety checks on gas equipment they own and provide for tenants. HSE advises checking that the engineer is competent in that specific area of gas, which is marked on the back of their Gas Safe Register card.
Which homes and appliances are covered?
Under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, a landlord is anyone who rents out a property they own under a lease shorter than 7 years or under a licence. The duties cover homes let by councils, housing associations and private landlords, hostels, bedsits, bed and breakfasts and rented holiday homes, including caravans and narrow boats.
Any gas appliance the landlord owns and provides for the tenant's use is covered, and so are appliances, fittings and flues in a communal area that tenants may use. If a tenant has their own gas appliance, the landlord is responsible for parts of the installation and pipework, but not for the appliance itself.
Can the gas safety check be done early?
Yes. Since the 2018 amendment regulations, the annual check on each appliance or flue can be carried out up to 2 months before it is due and still keep the original deadline date, as if it had been done exactly 12 months after the last check.
What if a tenant will not let the engineer in?
The landlord has to show they took all reasonable steps to comply, and must not use force to enter. HSE recommends leaving a notice saying an attempt was made, with contact details, and writing to explain that the check is a legal requirement and giving the tenant the chance to arrange their own appointment.
HSE inspectors look for at least three attempts to complete the check, and it would ultimately be for a court to decide if the action taken was reasonable.
What happens if the check finds a fault?
The record should be issued when the checks are finished, and not delayed even if defects are found or until repairs are done. Landlords should add records of any follow-up work to it.
A tenant has a duty not to use an appliance they believe to be dangerous. If your landlord will not fix a gas fault, our guide to housing disrepair explains how to report it and what to do next.
What are the rules in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland?
Nation
The rule
Scotland
The 1998 regulations apply. Any gas supply or equipment must be installed and maintained by a Gas Safe registered engineer and checked annually by a registered engineer.
Wales
The 1998 regulations apply, as in England.
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland's own 2004 regulations require checks at intervals of not more than twelve months and a copy of the record to existing tenants within 28 days.
Landlords also have electrical safety duties, covered in our guide to the EICR certificate, and our housing guides cover their other responsibilities.
Know Your Rights UK. "Gas Safety Certificate: What Landlords Must Do Each Year." Know Your Rights UK, https://www.knowyourrightsuk.com/housing/gas-safety-certificate