Landlord Information
Landlords must be able to provide their tenants with an up-to-date Gas Safety record.
By law, landlords must have all gas appliances serviced regularly, normally once a year by a Gas Safe registered engineer. The Gas Safe registered engineer will provide a Gas Safety record upon completion of the check.
Learn about what other steps you should be taking to make sure the property you let is gas safe.
What information does the Landlords Gas Safety record contain?
As a minimum, the record of a gas safety check must contain:
description and location of each appliance and/or flue checked
name, registration number and signature of the engineer who carried out the check
date on which the appliance and/or flue was checked
the address of the property at which the appliance and/or flue is installed
the name and address of the landlord (or his agent where appropriate)
any defect identified and any action required or taken to fix it
confirmation of the results of operational safety checks carried out on the appliances.
Are a gas safety check and a service the same thing?
Not quite. A service includes a thorough clean of the appliance as well as the gas safety checks.
For a gas safety check or a service, essential safety checks are done to make sure gas fittings and appliances are safe to use. These checks include;
checking the flue or chimney to make sure the products of combustion (fumes) are being safely removed to outside.
checking there is an adequate supply of fresh air so the gas burns properly.
checking the appliance is burning the gas properly.
checking all safety devices are working properly and shutting the appliance off if a fault occurs.
Landlords have specific legal responsibilities to their tenants when it comes to gas safety
Understanding the law for rental accommodation.
If you are a landlord letting a property equipped with gas appliances you need to understand and comply with the law relating to gas safety.
If you let a property, you must make sure that pipe work, appliances and flues provided for tenants are maintained in a safe condition. You need to have a gas safety check every year. A Gas Safe registered engineer must carry out the safety check in your properties. You must give your tenants a copy of the gas safety record within 28 days of it being carried out or before they move in.
You are also obliged to show your tenants how they can turn off the gas supply in the event of a gas leak.
Annual checks
As a landlord, you are legally responsible for making sure that a Gas Safe registered engineer checks the gas appliances in your rental properties every 12 months and gives you copies of the gas safety records.
Gas safety records
When your Gas Safe registered engineer has checked the gas appliances in your rental property they will give you a gas safety record. This record confirms the gas appliances have been checked and are safe.
You must give your tenant a copy of these gas safety records within 28 days of the checks being done, or give a copy of the gas safety record to a new tenant before they move in.
Remember, you must keep a record of each safety check for two years.
Tenant Information
Did you know that your landlord has legal responsibilities when it comes to gas safety?
If you rent a property, ask your landlord for a copy of the current Gas Safety record. This record shows that gas appliances have had an annual gas safety check by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
Landlords must also maintain gas appliances, so check the date when yours were last serviced as well.
Make sure your landlord is complying with the law.
Your landlord has specific legal responsibilities when it comes to gas safety. The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations require your landlord to have a gas safety check done by a Gas Safe registered engineer every twelve months.
Ask your landlord for an up-to-date landlord’s gas safety record (previously known as a gas safety certificate). This will show the appliances in the property have been safety checked by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
What is a gas safety check?
Faulty gas appliances and fittings and blocked flues can cause the following gas safety risks:
Gas leaks
Fires
Explosions
Carbon monoxide poisoning
A Gas Safe registered engineer will check these are in good working order and safe to use. After the gas safety check, the engineer will give your landlord a record of the checks carried out. Your landlord must give you a copy of this gas safety record within 28 days. If you are a new tenant, you should get a copy of this before you move in.
If a Gas Safe registered engineer visits you to safety check your appliances, it is in the interests of your safety to let them into the property. Always ask to see their Gas Safe Register ID card before letting them in.
What is a gas safety record?
If you are renting a property from a private landlord, from the council, a housing association or any other landlord, ask for a copy of the gas safety record.
When a Gas Safe registered engineer does a gas safety check in your home, using a form they will write down details of the checks that they carried out. This form is a gas safety record. It will list each of the appliances and other gas fittings they checked.
Your landlord should have given you a copy of the gas safety record; check the date to make sure it is not more than 12 months old.
They must give you a copy of a gas safety record within 28 days of the checks being done.
If you’re a new tenant, ask your landlord or letting agent for a copy of the gas safety record before you move in.
What if I own the gas appliances in my rented property?
If you own the gas appliances in your rented property, your landlord is not responsible for getting them safety checked, you are. But, your landlord may still be responsible for the maintenance of the gas pipe work and any chimney or flue that serves your appliances. In which case, you and your landlord should arrange the gas safety check together.
What to do if you think your landlord isn’t gas safe?
If you think that your landlord is not complying with the law you should get in touch with the Health and Safety Authority for your area. Failure to follow gas safety requirements is a criminal offence and the HSE can issue a formal caution and may prosecute your landlord.
Gas emergencies in a rented property
Make sure you know what to do in a gas emergency. Knowing the signs of danger and carbon monoxide poisoning could save your life.
Ask your landlord to show you how to turn off the gas supply if there is a gas leak. If you smell gas, call the 24 hour emergency gas service for your area:
Great Britain and Guernsey: 0800 111 999
Isle of Man: 01624 644 444
Northern Ireland: 0800 002 001
Gas Engineers
All our engineers on the Gas Safe Register are legal and qualified to work on gas. They all carry a Gas Safe Register ID card.
Employing a Gas Safe registered engineer is the only way to make sure your gas appliances are safe.
What is a Gas Safe registered engineer?
A Gas Safe registered engineer has been checked to make sure they are competent and qualified to work safely and legally with gas.
Every gas engineer carries a Gas Safe Register ID card with their own unique licence number, showing the type of gas work they are qualified to do. Before any gas work is carried out, always make sure you ask to see their Gas Safe Register ID card (see sample below).
How do I know my gas engineer is qualified to do the work?
Gas engineers have a range of qualifications that allow them to carry out specific types of gas work. It’s important to check what work they are qualified to do before you use them. You can find this information on the back of your gas engineer’s Gas Safe Register ID card.
Why do I need to make sure my gas engineer is on the Gas Safe Register?
It’s all about safety. If someone other than a Gas Safe registered engineer does the gas work in your home, you could be risking the safety of your family and your property.
Incorrectly fitted, badly repaired or poorly maintained gas appliances are a major cause of carbon monoxide poisoning. They can also lead to gas leaks, fires and explosions. On average over 14 people a year die from carbon monoxide poisoning, and many more suffer health problems from carbon monoxide exposure directly related to gas. The poisoning effects of carbon monoxide can cause brain damage and other serious health problems.
(Example of Gas Safety Certificate)
What happens if my Gas Safety Inspection fails ?
If the Engineer considers that the Gas Installation or Gas Appliances are unsafe, the Engineer may choose to leave a warning notice for the landlord or in some cases, may disconnect the appliance. In this instance, you must seek to rectify any mandatory maintenance or repair on the appliances or installation. If work is need on a Gas Appliance or to the gas installation, this will be noted on the Gas Safety Certificate. Once the work has been carried out, the paid invoices from the Engineer can be attached to the safety certificate to prove that the work has been carried out. This will prevent you from having to have a new Gas Safety Certificate.
Your Gas Safe registered engineer may give you gas safety information to show your gas appliances are working safely.
After a Gas Safe registered engineer has fitted or serviced your gas appliance, they will often leave you with a report which explains what checks they did. This report may be issued as a gas safety record, sometimes referred to as a gas safety certificate depending on the job you have asked them to do. It isn’t always a legal requirement for your engineer to give you this type of information, but many Gas Safe registered engineers will provide it or similar.
The gas safety information tells you that the gas appliance or gas fitting has been checked to see if it is working safely and meets the correct safety standards. This information may also tell you when you next need to service the appliance.
It’s important to get your appliances regularly serviced to make sure they are working efficiently and safely. You should also have a gas safety check done on all gas fittings and appliances every year.
