What Is a Landlord Gas Safety Certificate and How To Get It?
- October 12, 2022
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As a landlord, you likely have many concerns and responsibilities. You deal with confusing taxes, unexpected legislative changes and difficult tenants, so it’s no wonder that nearly half of UK landlords fell behind on their annual gas safety checks in the previous year. Flex Living, the guaranteed rent specialists, handle hundreds of gas certificates each year. So, we’ve put together this simple landlord gas safety certificate guide to help make your landlord experience as seamless as possible.
Check our 2023 Ultimate Landlord Checklist Guide
In this article, we are going to discuss :
The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 Act exists to make sure all gas appliances and installations are safe. To rent out your property per the legal requirements, you must guarantee the safety of all gas fittings and appliances (including pipework and flues from gas appliances).
Renting your place out through property management companies like Flex Living usually means you don’t have to worry too much about keeping up to date with fluctuating laws and regulations – our property management agents take care of that for you!
How Often Should You Do a Gas Safety Inspection?
You need to organise a gas safety check for all gas boilers and appliances once a year. The 2018 amendments to the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 Act provide more flexibility for renewing your gas safety records. Now, you can renew your gas safety certificate up to two months before the end of the 12-month period. For example, if your gas safety certificate expires on November 1st 2022, you could do your next inspection on September 1st 2022, and this new cp12 certificate would be valid until November 1st 2023.
How Long Does a Gas Safety Check take?
Usually, a gas safety check takes around 30 minutes. However, it could take longer if you own a larger property or if more critical repairs are required.
Who Completes the Gas Safety Inspection?
A Gas Safe registered engineer carries out all checks. With the Gas Safe Register, you can check that your engineer is gas safe certified (and that their qualifications are up-to-date).
What is Checked on the Landlord Gas Safety Certificate?
A gas safety certificate (cp12) is a document verifying that a qualified engineer has inspected and approved the safety of all gas systems on your property. You must renew this record every 12 months and provide your tenants with a copy within 28 days of the approved gas safety inspection. Remember, you must also provide new tenants with your gas safety certificate at the start of their tenancy.
The engineer who completes your annual gas safety check is responsible for completing various assessments of the gas appliances and systems in your property.
These tasks include:
- Visually inspecting all gas appliances
- Recording the gas rate and burner pressure
- Testing the tightness of the gas metre and checking for leaks
- Confirming the functionality of safety devices
- Checking that exhaust gases can exit via appliance flues
- Checking and cleaning the condense trap to prevent toxic gases
- Checking for adequate air supply and ventilation in rooms
- Checking for defects in heating systems
- Inspecting the boiler flue system
- Checking the pressure vessel inside the boiler
If these tests and checks prove successful, the final part of the inspection is for you to receive your gas safety certificate (also called a cp12 certificate).
What about appliances provided by my tenant?
So, your tenant has their own gas appliances that you did not provide – are you still liable to conduct safety checks on these systems? You are not responsible for the maintenance of your tenant’s appliances. However, you are still responsible for any attached pipework or flues.
What If You Fail Your Gas Safety Check?
If the Gas Safety engineer inspecting your property finds any gas appliance that is faulty or unsafe, they will tick the ‘not safe to use’ checkbox on the certificate. There are three codes to indicate unsafe appliances:
1) Immediately dangerous (ID): the appliance poses an immediate danger to life
2) At risk (AR): the appliance has at least one fault that could pose danger to life
3) Not to current standards (NCS): the appliance doesn’t meet present gas safe standards, but it is technically still safe to use.
If you receive an ID code on your certificate, the Gas Safe engineer will disconnect the gas supply (with your permission). They will then suggest what work needs to be done to fix the issue (this will also be specified on your certificate).
Landlord failure to provide gas safety certificates is a serious criminal offence. If you do not stay up to date with your inspections, you will breach the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations and could risk a £6,000 fine or six months imprisonment.
Remedial works: The next steps
If your property fails the gas safety inspection, the Gas Safe engineer will provide you with a list of recommendations on what needs to be done.
Before starting and paying for work, make sure you are clear about which appliances are at risk (AR) or need immediate attention (ID), and which are not mandatory to fix right now (NCS). This distinction will save you time and money where an engineer might recommend new installations and other expensive works when not really necessary.
You may like to get a second opinion before you start on any remedial works. The Efficient Home Energy company provides some of London’s most affordable gas checks.
Where To Book My Gas Safety Inspection?
For repair services in the UK, you could employ the help of companies such as:
- My Constructor allows you to compare prices and reviews to find the best repair service option and then book online through the website.
- Task Rabbit allows you to choose repair services based on reviews, skills and price. You can schedule, book and pay for services through the one platform.
- British Gas for expert engineers, easy booking and fixed price repairs. and access a ‘Standards of Performance’ document so you know what level of service you’re entitled to.
- Gas Safe Register to explore gas safe engineer companies around your location and check an engineers’ qualifications.
If you are interested in a guaranteed rental scheme through Flex Living, our team members can source and book a qualified Gas Safety engineer on your behalf so you can do less and stress less.
How Much Does It Cost?
Gas safety inspections for smaller properties cost an average of £50. A larger property with more appliances will see you fork out around £130.
Gas safety inspections vary in cost depending on:
- Your number of appliances
- Your location
- Who carries out the inspection
Further landlord responsibility: Informing tenants
You should pass on your gas safety certificate to your tenants within 28 days of the check and inform them about gas safety more generally. You must keep your cp12 certificate for a minimum of two years (that is, until two more gas safety inspections are complete).
It’s not just the gas safety check that you must carry out as a landlord. Yes – there’s more! You must also attain and renew your landlord Electrical Safety Certificate (EICR) every five years. An EICR is a record of the safety of your electrical installations, wiring, and fuses.
In addition, landlords also need to update their Energy Performance Certificate every ten years. Your rental property needs to have an energy performance rating above ‘E’. However, in 2025, this minimum requirement will increase to ‘C’. Like the gas safety certificate, you must provide your tenants with a copy of the document.
Hopefully, you now feel more prepared for your next gas safety check and can provide a safe space for your tenants. This guide has shown you how to obtain your gas safety certificate and what the inspection involves. Sometimes it may seem that your boundless landlord responsibilities never end. At Flex Living, we make property management services easy by handling everything from emergency repairs to safety certificates. If you want to let your property, get a valuation and become a Flex Living landlord today.