Landlords
Gas safety certificates: what the law requires
Every let property with a gas appliance needs a gas safety record every twelve months. What the check covers, when to book it, and what a lapse costs you.
Written by the ARA Services engineering team · Updated August 2026
The short answer
The duty comes from the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. Every gas appliance and flue in a let property must be checked at least once every twelve months by a Gas Safe registered engineer. Tenants get a copy of the record within 28 days of the check, new tenants get one before they move in, and you keep the records for two years. The check can be done up to two months early without moving the expiry date.
Who needs one
The duty falls on the landlord of any property let with a gas appliance, gas pipework or a flue installed. Letting agents usually arrange the checks, but the legal responsibility stays with the landlord unless the management agreement says otherwise.
Any tenancy, including room lets, HMOs and live-in landlords letting a room, where there is a gas appliance.
Appliances the landlord owns. A tenant’s own cooker is their responsibility, but the pipework and flue serving it are yours.
Short lets are more nuanced than assured tenancies, and the safe position is to hold a current record either way.
No gas appliances and no gas supply at all means no record is required — an all-electric flat is outside the regulations.
One address or a portfolio, we can book them together and keep the dates aligned.
Book a gas safety certificateWhat the engineer actually checks
A gas safety check is not a service, though the two are often done on the same visit. The engineer is confirming that each appliance is safe to use and that the record says so honestly.
The appliance is burning correctly and operating at the right gas pressure.
The flue is taking the products of combustion out of the building, with a flue flow and spillage test.
Ventilation openings are present, adequate and not blocked.
Safety devices are working, and the pipework shows no signs of damage or leakage.
Each appliance is recorded as passing, or classified as at risk or immediately dangerous, in which case it is turned off with your permission and the reason written down. The record carries the engineer’s name and Gas Safe registration number, which is worth checking on any certificate you are handed.
Not sure whether you need a check, a service, or both? Ask us on the phone.
077 2715 4746When to book it
The twelve-month interval runs from the date of the inspection, not from the date the certificate was issued or handed over. Under the regulations you can carry out the next check up to two months before the anniversary and keep the original expiry date, which gives a sensible booking window rather than a single deadline day.
Worth knowing. Renewing more than two months early resets the cycle from the new inspection date, so the anniversary creeps forward each year. Booking inside the two-month window keeps the date where you want it.
We hold your renewal dates and remind you before they fall due.
Renewal reminders for landlordsWhat a lapse costs
Failing to arrange the annual check is a criminal offence under the regulations, carrying an unlimited fine and up to six months’ imprisonment. Separately, a missing or unserved record blocks a Section 21 notice, and insurers routinely ask for the certificate when a gas-related claim is made.
In practice the paperwork failure is more common than the safety failure: the check was done, but the copy never reached the tenant. Serve it within 28 days, before move-in for a new tenancy, and keep proof of when you sent it.
Certificate expired or missing? We can usually attend within a few working days across London.
Call 077 2715 4746How we run it
One engineer, one visit, and where you need them the EICR, PAT testing and a boiler service done at the same time rather than as three separate appointments. Certificates are emailed the same day, we can hold keys for managed properties, and agencies get a single monthly invoice rather than one per job.
Managing several properties? We will set the visits and the reminders up around your renewal dates.
Talk to the officeGas safety questions
Is a gas safety certificate the same as a boiler service?
No. The certificate confirms the appliance is safe; a service cleans and checks the components to keep it running and to keep the manufacturer’s warranty valid. They are different jobs, commonly done on the same visit.
Does the tenant have to be at home?
Someone has to let the engineer in and every gas appliance has to be accessible. We contact the tenant directly to arrange a slot if you would rather not.
What happens if an appliance fails the check?
It is classified, turned off with permission where it is dangerous, and written up on the record. You get the repair or replacement quoted before anything is done.
How long do I have to keep the records?
Two years, and each new record has to be given to existing tenants within 28 days and to new tenants before they move in.
Book a gas safety check
Give us the address and access details and we will book the visit and email the certificate the same day.