Gas Safety when buying or selling a home

We know moving home can be a stressful time with lots to consider, but safety should be top of the list to ensure you don’t put yourself, or your family, in danger. Heating issues may not be your only problem if your new home’s gas appliances are faulty.

Only Gas Safe registered engineers can legally undertake gas work at a property, whether it’s on appliances, flues or pipework. This means your homebuyer or structural surveys might not confirm if the gas appliances in your new property are working as they should be by default and you’ll need to check.

Unsafe appliances can cause carbon monoxide poisoning, gas leaks, fires and explosions, which is why we’d always advise that you get them checked before you move in.

What action should you take?

You’ll want to obtain a gas safety record (sometimes known as a gas safety certificate) when buying a house. Here’s what you’ll need to do:

1. Ask the current owners for a gas safety record or certificate for all appliances in the property.
2. If they can’t provide a record, or it’s been over 12 months since the last check, get in touch with a Gas Safe registered engineer to carry out a gas safety check before you move in.

Find an Engineer near me

Do I need a gas safety certificate to sell my house?

Under the Building Regulations in England and Wales, local authorities must be notified when any heat producing appliance has been installed at a property. A Building Regulations Compliance Certificate is then issued, and it’s this certificate that you’ll need to give to the new owners. However, this differs from a Gas Safety Record.

I’ve lost my Building Regulations certificate!

Need a replacement certificate? If the installation was notified by a Gas Safe registered engineer, then you can easily order a duplicate copy through Gas Safe Register.

Order a replacement certificate

Click on the image to view the full infographic