Frequently Asked Questions

By law, landlords must make sure:

• pipe work, appliances and flues provided for tenants are maintained in a safe condition;

• that all appliances and flues that are provided by the landlord for their tenants use are checked for safety by a Gas Safe registered engineer annually;

• that all gas appliances provided by the landlord for their tenants use are maintained by a Gas Safe registered engineer (normally manufacturers recommend annual maintenance for their appliances) and all gas equipment (including any appliance left by a previous tenant) is safe or otherwise removed before re-letting;

• they provide a documented record of safety checks (landlords gas safety record) to the tenant within 28 days of completing the check or to any new tenant before they move in;

• they keep a copy of safety check documents for a specified period. Advice on landlords duties are contained in HSE's guidance to landlords and letting agents found on the HSE website.

Yes, it is a legal requirement for you to have an annual safety check on all gas appliances and flues that you provide for your tenants use in your rental properties.

Additionally, you have a legal requirement to maintain gas appliances, flues/chimneys and pipework in a safe condition. For appliances this normally means annual servicing. Both aspects must be carried out by a suitably qualified Gas Safe registered engineer.

All engineers registered with Gas Safe Register must have an ID card that shows the type of work they are registered to do. Gas Safe Register strongly advise you to check the engineer’s ID card before they begin work on your gas appliances.

Details of the type of work that an engineer is registered to carry out can be found using our check an engineer service online or by checking the back of the engineer’s Gas Safe Register ID card or by emailing us at register@gassaferegister.co.uk.

Yes, you must provide your tenant with a record of safety checks completed within 28 days of the check being completed and you must keep an auditable copy. The record will need to be kept until two further gas safety checks have been carried out and, for an appliance or flue that is removed from the premises, for a period of 2 years from the date of the last check of that appliance or flue.

A common method of providing a record of safety checks is using a ‘landlord gas safety record’. These are sometimes referred to as a ‘Gas Safety Certificate’ or ‘CP12’ form. The record of a gas safety check must contain the following information:

• a description of and the location of each gas appliance or flue checked;
 
• the name, Gas Safe registration number and signature of the engineer carrying out the checks (an electronic signature is acceptable);
 
• the date on which the appliance(s) or flue(s) were checked;
 
• the address of the property at which the appliance(s) or flue(s) are installed;

• the name and address of the landlord (or your agent where appropriate);

• any gas safety defect identified and any remedial action taken by the registered engineer;
 
• confirmation that the safety checks completed complied with the requirements of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 (GB and Isle of Man) and Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 2004 (Northern Ireland).

Our landlords page contains further information regarding the responsibility of the landlord and the landlord’s gas safety record.

Yes, a landlord’s gas safety record does not need to feature the Gas Safe Register logo.

By law, you must:

• make sure that the management contract between the property owner and yourselves clearly defines who is responsible for making arrangements for maintenance and safety checks on gas equipment and for keeping associated records;
 
• ensure gas appliances and flues are safety checked within the legal timescales required;
 
• ensure appliances, flues and pipework are maintained in a safe condition and if defects are found, take appropriate action to ensure gas safety;
 
• keep records that are required by law;
 
• make sure that maintenance and safety checks on gas appliances, fittings and flues provided for tenants use are only carried out by a suitably qualified Gas Safe registered engineer.

Currently in England and Wales, legislation does not require a CO alarm to be fitted in rental properties containing gas appliances. However, Gas Safe Register strongly recommends that audible CO alarms are installed in all domestic properties. The only requirement in England and Wales is contained in the Building Regulations and pertains to solid fuel appliances, such as wood, coal etc.

In addition, on 1 Oct 2015 the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015 came into force. From that date, private rented sector landlords have been required to have at least one smoke alarm installed on every floor of their properties and a CO alarm in any room where solid fuel is used.

After that, the landlord must make sure the alarms are in working order at the start of each new tenancy. In Scotland, the Scottish Building Standards have required the installation of a CO alarm whenever a new gas appliance is installed – with the exception of cooking appliances. In 2014, a change was made to the Housing (Scotland) Act and which took effect from the 1st December 2015. This means that private landlords must ensure that a detection system is installed in all dwellings they rent to tenants where there is:

• a fixed combustion appliance (excluding an appliance used solely for cooking) in the dwelling or;

• a fixed combustion appliance in an inter-connected space, for example, an integral garage;

• a combustion appliance necessarily located in a bathroom (advice would be to locate it elsewhere)

The CO alarm should be sited outside the room as close to the appliance as possible but allowing for the effect humid air might have on the detector when the bathroom door is open. This applies to ALL fuels.

Northern Ireland has since 31st October 2012 required CO alarms to be installed when a new gas appliance is fitted. There is no current information regarding further changes. This requirement is from Technical Document L of the Building Regulations in Northern Ireland which has been amended to cover protection against CO and states: “Where a combustion appliance is installed in a dwelling, reasonable provision shall be made to detect and give warning of the presence of CO gas at levels harmful to people.”

Before purchasing a CO alarm, always ensure it complies with British Standard EN 50291 and carries a British or European approval mark, such as a Kitemark. Standards for the performance of CO alarms have become more stringent over recent years and so older alarms may not react as quickly as newer alarms. Check the manufacturer’s recommendations about how you should fit and test your alarm to ensure that the unit and the batteries are in good condition.

Since 1st January 2013, flues that remove fumes from a room sealed, fan assisted boiler and are concealed in a void (for example, in a ceiling, behind a wall or within boxing) must have suitably sized inspection hatches installed so that the entire length of the flue can be inspected by a Gas Safe registered engineer during a safety check.

If a flue is inaccessible or the hatches are not positioned correctly or of adequate size to allow the entire flue to be inspected, the engineer will classify the appliance as ‘At Risk’ and apply a ‘Danger Do Not Use’ label to the appliance.