Landlord gas safety certificate (CP12): rules and records
By TenancyDesk · Sources checked
A landlord gas safety certificate, often called a CP12, is the record of the annual gas safety check. A Gas Safe registered engineer must check every gas appliance and flue you provide at least every 12 months. Give existing tenants a copy within 28 days and new tenants before they move in. Keep each record for at least two years.
- How often
- Every 12 months
- Who can do it
- A Gas Safe registered engineer
- Copy to existing tenants
- Within 28 days of the check
- Copy to new tenants
- Before they move in
- Keep the record
- At least 2 years
- Early check
- Up to 2 months early without losing the due date
What is a landlord gas safety certificate?
A landlord gas safety certificate is the record a Gas Safe registered engineer completes after the annual gas safety check. Its official name is the landlord gas safety record. Many landlords and engineers still call it a CP12, the name of an older form. HSE says there is no mandatory standard form, as long as the record contains the required information.
The record is evidence of a check on one day. It sits beside two other duties that HSE treats separately: keeping gas pipework, appliances and flues maintained in a safe condition, and giving the tenant a copy of the record. A boiler service invoice is not a gas safety record.
Maintenance has no fixed timetable in the regulations. HSE says good practice is to be able to show regular, annual maintenance checks, and that repairs to flues, appliances and pipework must be done by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
The record must show the date of the check, the address of the property, the name and address of the landlord or agent, a description and the location of each appliance and flue checked, any safety defect found and the action taken, and the engineer’s name, signature and registration number.
Sources: HSE: gas safety, landlords and letting agents · HSE: gas safety check records and what to keep
Who needs a gas safety certificate?
You need one if you let a home with a gas appliance or flue that you provide, under a lease of less than seven years, a periodic tenancy or a licence. HSE’s definition of a landlord also takes in rooms, bedsits, hostels and holiday lets. A property with no gas appliances or flues has nothing to check.
A lease of more than seven years is outside the landlord duties. An appliance the tenant owns is not yours to check, although you remain responsible for parts of the installation and pipework that serve it, and HSE says flues connected to gas appliances should be included in the check. Appliances and flues in communal areas that tenants may use are covered too.
You cannot pass the duty to the tenant through the tenancy agreement. If an agent manages the property, the contract should say clearly who arranges maintenance and the safety check, and an agent who takes on that responsibility has the same duties as a landlord. Accommodation that comes with a job is covered as well. If your tenant sublets, HSE says the duty stays with you. Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) appliances follow the same rules as mains gas.
Sources: HSE: gas safety, landlords and letting agents · Legislation: Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, regulation 36
How often is a gas safety check needed?
Every 12 months. A new appliance or flue must be checked within 12 months of being installed and at intervals of no more than 12 months after that. Since 2018 you can have the check done up to two months before it is due and keep the original deadline date, much like a car’s MOT.
Before you re-let, HSE says all appliances and flues must be safe and covered by an up-to-date record. If you suspect tampering or vandalism between tenancies, have another check done before the new tenant moves in.
| Task | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Safety check on each appliance and flue | Within 12 months of installation, then at intervals of no more than 12 months |
| Early check that keeps the same due date | Up to 2 months before the due date (months 10 to 12) |
| Copy of the record to existing tenants | Within 28 days of the check |
| Copy to a new tenant | Before they move in |
| Lets of less than 28 days | The record can be displayed prominently in the property instead |
| Keeping the record | At least 2 years, and until two further checks have been done if you use the early-check flexibility |
Sources: HSE: gas safety, landlords and letting agents · HSE: gas safety check records and what to keep · Legislation: Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, regulation 36
Give tenants the record and keep a copy
Existing tenants must get a copy within 28 days of the check, and a new tenant before they occupy the home. For a new tenancy, the written statement of terms must also set out your gas safety duties where the property has a relevant gas fitting.
HSE accepts electronic records if they can be reproduced in hard copy when required, are secure from loss and interference, and uniquely identify the engineer who did the check. Store the check date, the next due date and the proof that each tenant received their copy as separate entries. That makes it obvious when the check is done but the tenant copy is still outstanding.
Sources: HSE: gas safety check records and what to keep · HSE: gas safety, landlords and letting agents · GOV.UK: tenancy agreements, written information for your tenant
What if the tenant will not allow access?
You must be able to show that you took all reasonable steps to comply with the law. HSE suggests leaving a notice that an attempt was made, with your contact details, writing to explain that the safety check is a legal requirement, and giving the tenant the chance to arrange an appointment themselves. HSE inspectors look for at least three attempts.
Keep a copy of every letter, message and missed appointment. HSE says it would be for a court to decide whether the action taken was reasonable in the circumstances. Do not force entry, and get advice if access keeps being refused.
What happens if you do not have a gas safety certificate?
The gas safety duties are criminal law, enforced by the Health and Safety Executive. HSE says it gives gas safety a high priority and that failing to comply could result in a substantial fine, a custodial sentence, or both. HSE does not publish a fixed tariff, so treat any single figure you see quoted with care. If you are unsure whether a duty applies to you, HSE runs a Gas Safety Advice Line on 0800 300 363.
If an engineer finds an unsafe appliance, it must not be used. Follow the engineer’s instructions and arrange the repair. If heating has to be disconnected, HSE says you must provide emergency heating while it is fixed. If anyone smells gas, call the gas emergency number, 0800 111 999, open doors and windows and shut off the supply at the meter.
Gas is one of several safety duties. In England a carbon monoxide alarm has been required since 1 October 2022 in any room used as living accommodation that contains a fixed combustion appliance, gas cookers excepted: see the smoke and carbon monoxide alarm rules. The electrical equivalent of this record is the EICR.
Common gas safety mistakes
The usual slips are administrative: letting the 12 months lapse by a few days, treating a service as a safety check, giving the record to one joint tenant but not the others, handing a new tenant the record after they have moved in, and discarding the old record too early.
Others are about who does the work. Check that the engineer is on the Gas Safe Register and is qualified for the type of appliance. Our guide to gas safety certificate costs covers what to expect to pay and how to compare quotes.
Changes to the property can catch landlords out too. HSE restricts which gas fires, space heaters and water heaters can be in a room used for sleeping, so ask a Gas Safe registered engineer before you turn a room with a gas appliance into a bedroom. A simple order of work avoids most problems: book the check in month 10 or 11, read the record on the day, send the tenant copies within 28 days and file the old record beside the new one.
Build a useful renewal record
An appointment date is a plan. The completed record is evidence. Use a short sequence of statuses so an appointment that was cancelled does not look like a completed safety check. TenancyDesk keeps each property’s certificate dates and sends reminders, but it does not inspect appliances or decide whether an installation is safe.
- List the gas appliances and flues you provide against each property.
- Record the engineer and check their current registration and relevant qualifications.
- Keep the existing record and set a reminder two months before the next check is due.
- After the visit, read the result and record any action the engineer identifies.
- Save the new record and the date each tenant was given a copy.
- Keep access requests and responses if arranging a visit proves difficult.
- Track gas alongside your other documents with our landlord certificates checklist.
- New to letting? Work through the checklist for becoming a landlord before the first tenant moves in.
Common questions
How often does a landlord need a gas safety certificate?
Every 12 months. Each gas appliance and flue the landlord provides must be checked within 12 months of installation and at least every 12 months after that, by a Gas Safe registered engineer. The check can be done up to two months early without changing the due date.
What is a CP12?
CP12 is the old name for the landlord gas safety record, the document an engineer completes after the annual gas safety check. HSE says there is no mandatory standard form today, provided the record contains the information the regulations require and is completed by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
When must tenants be given the gas safety certificate?
Within 28 days of the check for existing tenants, and before they move in for new tenants. For lets of less than 28 days the record can be displayed prominently in the property instead. Record the date each tenant received their copy.
How long should a landlord keep gas safety records?
At least two years, according to HSE. If you use the rule that lets you check up to two months early while keeping the same due date, keep each record until two further checks have been completed. Electronic copies are acceptable if they are secure and can be printed.
Is a boiler service the same as a gas safety certificate?
No. HSE treats the annual safety check and the ongoing duty to maintain gas appliances, flues and pipework as separate duties. A service invoice on its own is not a gas safety record, and a safety check is not a full service.
Is the landlord responsible for a tenant’s own gas cooker?
Not for the appliance itself. HSE says a landlord is responsible for parts of the associated installation and pipework, but not for an appliance the tenant owns. Flues connected to gas appliances should still be included in the landlord’s check.
What is the penalty for not having a landlord gas safety certificate?
There is no fixed figure. HSE says failing to comply with the gas safety regulations could result in a substantial fine, a custodial sentence, or both. If a tenant refuses access, you need evidence of all reasonable steps, and HSE looks for at least three attempts.
Official sources and scope
Checked on 5 October 2026. This is general information for private landlords in England, not legal advice or a complete compliance assessment. Follow the current official guidance for your tenancy and get advice about exceptions, missed deadlines or disputes.
- HSE: gas safety, landlords and letting agents
- HSE: gas safety check records and what to keep
- Legislation: Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, regulation 36
- GOV.UK: tenancy agreements, written information for your tenant
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