Landlord certificates: what you need in England (2026)
By TenancyDesk · Sources checked
A landlord in England needs three certificates for most lets: a gas safety record renewed every 12 months, an electrical inspection report (EICR) at least every five years, and an Energy Performance Certificate valid for 10 years. Alarms, a legionella risk assessment, deposit protection, right to rent checks and any council licence are records to keep as well.
- Gas safety record
- Every 12 months
- EICR
- At least every 5 years
- EPC
- Valid for 10 years
- Tenant copies
- Before move-in, or within 28 days of a new check
- Legionella certificate
- Not required by law
- Largest penalty listed here
- Up to £40,000 (electrical safety)
What certificates does a landlord need?
Three documents are certificates in the strict sense, issued by a qualified person after an inspection: the gas safety record, the electrical inspection report and the Energy Performance Certificate. Every private landlord in England needs the last two, and the first wherever the property has gas appliances or flues that the landlord provides.
The rest of the list is made up of records, not certificates. Nobody issues a smoke alarm certificate or, by law, a legionella certificate. But you are still expected to be able to show what you did and when: that alarms worked on the first day, that the deposit was protected, that each adult’s right to rent was checked, and that any licence the council requires is in force.
This guide covers England. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own rules, so do not rely on this list there.
Sources: HSE: landlords’ gas safety responsibilities · GOV.UK: electrical safety standards guidance for landlords · GOV.UK: Energy Performance Certificates
Landlord certificates and records: how often and who can issue them
The first table shows what each item is, how often it has to be renewed and who is allowed to produce it. Use the date on the document itself to set your reminder, not the date you think it was done.
| Certificate or record | How often | Who can issue or do it |
|---|---|---|
| Gas safety record | Every 12 months, and within 12 months of a new appliance or flue being installed | A Gas Safe registered engineer qualified for the appliances |
| Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) | At least every 5 years, or sooner if the last report says so | A qualified and competent person |
| Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) | Valid for 10 years | An accredited energy assessor |
| Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms | Checked on the day each new tenancy begins, repaired or replaced when a fault is reported | The landlord or agent |
| Legionella risk assessment | No fixed interval: review it periodically and when something changes | The landlord, or a competent person on their behalf |
| Deposit protection | Once per deposit, within 30 days of receiving it | The landlord or agent, with an approved scheme |
| HMO licence | Lasts up to 5 years, then renew | The local council |
| Selective licence | Only where the council has designated the area. A designation lasts up to 5 years | The local council |
| Right to rent check | Before the tenancy starts, with a follow-up if the tenant’s permission is time-limited | The landlord, or an agent by written agreement |
Sources: HSE: landlords’ gas safety responsibilities · GOV.UK: electrical safety standards guidance for landlords · GOV.UK: Energy Performance Certificates · GOV.UK: smoke and carbon monoxide alarm regulations, guidance for landlords and tenants · HSE: legionella and landlords’ responsibilities · GOV.UK: tenancy deposit protection · GOV.UK: house in multiple occupation licence
Who gets a copy, when, and what the penalty is
Having the certificate is half the duty. The other half is giving it to the right person by the deadline and being able to prove you did. The second table covers copies and penalties.
The figures are the maximums given by the official source for each rule on 5 October 2026. Councils and courts decide the actual amount in each case.
| Certificate or record | Who gets a copy and when | Penalty |
|---|---|---|
| Gas safety record | Existing tenants within 28 days of the check, new tenants before they move in. Keep it for 2 years | HSE says a breach could result in a substantial fine, a custodial sentence, or both |
| EICR | Existing tenants within 28 days, new tenants before they occupy, a prospective tenant within 28 days of asking, the council within 7 days of asking | Up to £40,000 |
| EPC | Available to people enquiring about the property, and given free to the person who becomes the tenant | GOV.UK says you can be fined |
| Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms | No certificate to hand over. Keep your own note of the day-one check | Up to £5,000 for not complying with a council remedial notice |
| Legionella risk assessment | No copy required. HSE says keeping a record is wise | No certificate is required by health and safety law |
| Deposit protection | Tenant given the scheme information within 30 days of the deposit being received | A court can order up to 3 times the deposit to be paid to the tenant |
| HMO licence | Held by the licence holder. Licence conditions include sending the council a gas safety certificate every year | An unlimited fine for an unlicensed HMO |
| Right to rent check | Kept by the landlord for the tenancy and one year after | £10,000 per tenant for a first breach, £20,000 for a repeat |
Sources: HSE: landlords’ gas safety responsibilities · GOV.UK: electrical safety standards guidance for landlords · GOV.UK: Energy Performance Certificates · GOV.UK: smoke and carbon monoxide alarm regulations, guidance for landlords and tenants · HSE: legionella and landlords’ responsibilities · GOV.UK: tenancy deposit protection · GOV.UK: house in multiple occupation licence
Landlord safety certificates: gas and electrical
The gas safety check covers the gas appliances and flues you provide. HSE says it must be done within 12 months of a new appliance or flue being installed and annually after that, by a Gas Safe registered engineer. You can have the check done up to two months before it is due and keep the original renewal date. The full rules are in landlord gas safety certificates, and typical prices in gas safety certificate cost.
The EICR covers the fixed electrical installation in the property. If the report requires remedial work or further investigation, the work must be completed within 28 days, or a shorter period if the report specifies one. Read the findings as well as the next inspection date. See EICR rules for landlords and EICR certificate cost.
Sources: HSE: landlords’ gas safety responsibilities · GOV.UK: electrical safety standards guidance for landlords
EPC, smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms
GOV.UK says you must get an EPC before marketing a property to rent, that it is valid for 10 years, and that it must come from an accredited assessor. A separate rule sets a minimum energy rating for let properties, with its own exemptions and penalties: see EPC rules for landlords.
The alarm rules need no certificate, which is why they are easy to forget. The government’s guidance says there must be at least one smoke alarm on each storey where there is a room used as living accommodation, and a carbon monoxide alarm in any such room with a fixed combustion appliance, not counting gas cookers. You must check each one works on the day a new tenancy begins and repair or replace a faulty alarm once you are told about it.
Councils enforce the alarm rules. If a remedial notice is ignored, the fine is up to £5,000. A dated note or photograph from the first day is your evidence. More detail is in the smoke and carbon monoxide alarm regulations.
Sources: GOV.UK: Energy Performance Certificates · GOV.UK: smoke and carbon monoxide alarm regulations, guidance for landlords and tenants
Do landlords need a legionella certificate?
No. HSE states that health and safety law does not require landlords to obtain or produce a legionella test certificate. What the law does require is that you assess the risk from legionella, the bacteria that can grow in water systems.
HSE says the assessment does not need to be in-depth or detailed, and that most landlords can do it themselves without professional training. For a typical home with water in regular use, a simple assessment may show there are no real risks. Testing or sampling the water is not usually required for domestic hot and cold water systems.
There is no set interval for reviewing it, and landlords are not necessarily required to write the findings down, though HSE suggests a record is wise. Be wary of anyone who tells you an annual legionella certificate is compulsory. See legionella risk assessments for landlords.
Deposit protection, licences and right to rent records
A tenancy deposit must go into a government-approved scheme within 30 days of your receiving it. The approved schemes are the Deposit Protection Service, MyDeposits and the Tenancy Deposit Scheme. If a deposit was not protected, a court can order it to be repaid or paid into a scheme, and can order the landlord to pay the tenant up to three times the deposit. See tenancy deposit protection.
A property let to five or more people from more than one household, sharing facilities, is a large HMO and needs a licence from the council. A licence lasts up to five years. Councils can also require licences for smaller shared houses, or for all private lets in a selective licensing area, so ask your council. The HMO licence guide covers the conditions.
The right to rent check is not a certificate, but the saved result is one of the most valuable records you hold, because it is your defence against a civil penalty. Keep it with the rest of the file. The steps are in right to rent checks for landlords.
Sources: GOV.UK: tenancy deposit protection · GOV.UK: house in multiple occupation licence
A checklist for keeping landlord certificates in order
Most penalties arise from a missed date or a missing proof of delivery, not from a refusal to do the work. One record per property, with the expiry dates and the tenant copies side by side, prevents both. TenancyDesk keeps that record for each property and emails you before a certificate runs out.
- List every certificate and record that applies to the property, including any licence.
- Write down the date on each document and the date the next one is due.
- Book gas checks up to two months early so the renewal date does not drift.
- Read each report, not just the front page, and list any work it requires with its own deadline.
- Give tenants their copies by the deadline and keep proof: the email, the signed receipt or the dated photograph.
- On the first day of each new tenancy, test every alarm and note that you did.
- Keep the right to rent result and the deposit scheme confirmation in the same file.
- Review the legionella assessment from time to time and whenever something about the water system changes.
Sources: HSE: landlords’ gas safety responsibilities · GOV.UK: electrical safety standards guidance for landlords · GOV.UK: smoke and carbon monoxide alarm regulations, guidance for landlords and tenants · HSE: legionella and landlords’ responsibilities
Common questions
How many certificates does a landlord need?
Most landlords in England need three: a gas safety record every 12 months where there is gas, an electrical inspection report (EICR) at least every five years, and an Energy Performance Certificate valid for 10 years. Alarms, legionella, deposit protection, right to rent and licences are duties with records, not certificates.
How often do landlord safety certificates need renewing?
The gas safety record is renewed every 12 months and the EICR at least every five years, or sooner if the report says so. An EPC lasts 10 years. An HMO licence lasts up to five years. Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms must be checked on the day each new tenancy begins.
Does a landlord need an EPC before advertising a property?
Yes. GOV.UK says you must get an Energy Performance Certificate before marketing a property to rent. It is valid for 10 years, must be produced by an accredited assessor, and you can be fined if you do not have one when you need it. A few building types, such as some listed buildings, are exempt.
Do I have to give my tenant a copy of the certificates?
Yes for gas and electrical. A new tenant must receive the gas safety record before they move in and the EICR before they occupy the property. After each new check, existing tenants must get their copy within 28 days. The EPC must be given free of charge to the person who becomes the tenant.
What happens if a landlord has no gas safety certificate?
It is a breach of the gas safety regulations. HSE says it gives gas safety a high priority and will take appropriate action, which could result in a substantial fine, a custodial sentence, or both. The landlord must arrange a check by a Gas Safe registered engineer and give the tenant the record.
Is a legionella certificate a legal requirement for rented property?
No. HSE says health and safety law does not require landlords to obtain or produce a legionella test certificate. Landlords must assess the risk, which most can do themselves, and there is no fixed annual or two-yearly review. Testing or sampling water is not usually needed in domestic systems.
What is the fine for not having an EICR?
Up to £40,000. That is the maximum financial penalty given in the government’s guidance on the electrical safety standards for rented homes in England. The same guidance requires any remedial work in the report to be completed within 28 days, or sooner if the report says so.
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: landlords’ gas safety responsibilities
- GOV.UK: electrical safety standards guidance for landlords
- GOV.UK: Energy Performance Certificates
- GOV.UK: smoke and carbon monoxide alarm regulations, guidance for landlords and tenants
- HSE: legionella and landlords’ responsibilities
- GOV.UK: tenancy deposit protection
- GOV.UK: house in multiple occupation licence
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