Gas Safety Certificate for Landlords: Rules, Cost and Renewal

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As of 2026, if you rent out a home with gas appliances, a Gas Safe registered engineer must check every appliance and flue at least every 12 months. You can book the check up to two months before the deadline and still keep the original renewal date. Tenants must get a copy within 28 days, or before they move in.

What a landlord's gas safety certificate actually is

People say "gas safety certificate", "CP12" or "landlord gas safety record". They all mean the record of the annual safety check the law requires on gas appliances and flues you provide for your tenants. The rules sit in regulation 36 of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, and they apply across England, Wales and Scotland.

It covers any gas appliance you own and provide, such as a boiler, a gas hob or a gas fire, plus the flues. If a tenant brings their own gas cooker, you're not responsible for the appliance itself, but you still have duties for the pipework and the installation. The check has to be done by a Gas Safe registered engineer. HSE also advises you to check the engineer is qualified for the type of work, which is shown on the back of their Gas Safe ID card.

How often you need one

At least every 12 months for each appliance and flue. A new appliance needs its first check within 12 months of being installed. Before a new tenancy starts, the checks must have been done within the 12 months before it begins (or within 12 months of installation, whichever is later).

There's no grace period. The renewal date is a hard deadline, and a late check doesn't get you a new 12 months for free.

The two-month early window (keep your original date)

Since April 2018 you can have the check done in the two months before your deadline and still treat it as done on the deadline date. So if your deadline is 12 April, a check any time from 12 February to 12 April still renews you to 12 April the following year. You don't lose any time by being organised.

This catches a lot of people out in the other direction: if you do the check early, your next deadline is still the original date plus 12 months, not 12 months from the day the engineer visited. Write the deadline down, not just the visit date.

There's also a one-off option if your appliances have different deadlines. For each appliance or flue you can use it once to line the dates up so they fall together in future.

Who gets a copy, and when

  • Existing tenants: a copy within 28 days of the check.
  • New tenants: a copy of the latest record before they move in.
  • You: keep the record until two further checks have been done (or for 2 years if the appliance was removed).

You can keep the record electronically if you can reproduce it on paper when asked, it's secure, and it clearly identifies the engineer who did the check. If the check finds defects, give the tenant the record anyway. HSE says not to hold it back until the work is done.

What the record has to show

The regulations list what goes on it: the date of the check, the address, your name and address (or your agent's), each appliance and where it is, any safety defects found, any action taken, confirmation the check met the required standard, the engineer's name and signature, and their Gas Safe registration number.

What it costs

There's no set price. The Gas Safe Register doesn't control what engineers charge, and HSE suggests getting quotes from three engineers before you hire one. Prices vary by area, by the number of appliances and by whether you add a boiler service, so we're not going to quote a number here.

If a tenant won't let the engineer in

You can't force entry. What matters is that you can show you took reasonable steps. HSE's advice is to keep a written record of everything and to:

  • leave a notice saying you tried to do the check, with your contact details,
  • write to the tenant explaining it's a legal requirement and for their own safety, and offer them the chance to arrange their own appointment,
  • expect inspectors to look for at least three documented attempts.

Putting access arrangements in the tenancy agreement helps too. Whether your steps were reasonable is ultimately for a court to decide, so keep every message.

What happens if you miss it

HSE treats gas safety as a high priority. Breaking the regulations can mean a substantial fine and/or a prison sentence. It's also just the thing a tenant, a mortgage lender or a council will ask to see first.

Keeping track without a spreadsheet

The usual failure is not ignoring the rule. It is finding the PDF, remembering the real deadline, and booking an engineer when the diary is already full. Put the deadline, not the visit date, on a reminder, and open the booking window two months out.

Gaffy keeps each property's certificates in one place, alongside your repairs. The gas safety certificate reminder page is the short version of the 12-month rule and how those emails are sent. If you'd like to try it, it's free for the first month, with no card.

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Related guides

Gas safety certificate FAQs

How often do landlords need a gas safety certificate?

At least every 12 months for each gas appliance and flue you provide, carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer. New appliances need their first check within 12 months of installation, and checks must also be current before a new tenancy begins.

Can I renew a gas safety certificate early?

Yes. A check completed in the two months before your deadline counts as done on the deadline date, so your next deadline stays 12 months from the original date. Book earlier than two months and the date resets to the actual check date.

Who has to get a copy of the gas safety record?

Existing tenants must get a copy within 28 days of the check. New tenants must get the latest record before they move in. You must keep your copy until two further checks have been completed.

What if my tenant won't give access for the check?

You can't force entry. Keep written proof of your attempts: a notice left at the property, a letter explaining the legal duty, and offers of other appointments. HSE says inspectors look for at least three documented attempts.

Sources

All fetched and read on 9 Oct 2026.

General information, not legal advice. Last checked 9 October 2026.