If you have your property rented out, or you plan to rent it, you are legally required to have a valid gas certificate (CP12) which confirms all the appliances in the property are safe to use and fit for purpose. If you are using an agent, they will need to be provided with a copy of the CP12 - Gas Certificate before they are able to move new tenants in. It is the landlord's responsibility to do the same in the event of a private rental.

It is worth noting that if an appliance is owned by a tenant, for example a cooker, the landlord is not responsible for having it checked (although the pipework connected to the appliance is the responsibility of the landlord). For private homeowners and households, there is no legal requirement to have gas safety certificates, however, it is recommended that you still have the gas safety checks performed for your own safety and peace of mind.

Given the potential seriousness of gas or carbon monoxide leaks, breaches of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 are taken very seriously. Landlords have a duty to provide a safe home through gas safety checks for their tenants (and thus a valid Gas Certificate - CP12) and failure to do so can result in either a substantial fine, imprisonment or both. 

The consequences for failure to comply with Gas Certificate regulations could include:

• A fine of up to £6,000 for each breach and/or 6 months imprisonment.
• If there is loss of life the guilty party could be charged with manslaughter.

As a landlord, you are responsible for the safety of your tenants. The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 states landlords' duties to make sure gas appliances, fittings and flues provided for tenant’s use are safe. Appliances, fittings and flues in a communal area but which may be used by tenants are also included.  

The landlord is also responsible for ensuring an annual gas safety check is carried out within 12 months of the installation of a any new appliance or flue you provide and annually thereafter by a Gas Safe Registered engineer. You must keep a record of the safety check for 2 years and issue a copy to each existing tenant within 28 days of the check being completed and issue a copy to any new tenants before they move in.

Under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) (Amendment) Regulations 2018 you can have the annual gas safety check on each appliance or flue carried out up to 2 months before the date the check needs to be carried out but still retain the original deadline date as if the check had been carried out exactly 12 months after the previous check.

As a landlord you are responsible for the maintenance and repair of flues, appliances and pipework provided for your tenants use, to ensure maintenance and repairs are carried out in a competent manner, it is imperative as a landlord you use a Gas Safe registered engineer. Although there is no prescribed timeframe for these duties, good practice would be the demonstration of regular, annual maintenance checks and subsequent repairs.

If an appliance is owned by the tenant, you as the landlord are not legally responsible to have it inspected but is advised that you remind your tenant to have it checked every year.

When you are booking a Gas Safety Certificate you will be asked to declare how many appliances you need to have checked. For this type of inspection, an appliance is considered an appliance if it burns fuel such as a gas or LPG boiler, gas hob or cooker or a gas fire. If you have a gas boiler and a gas hob for instance, you will require an inspection on two appliances.

Gas safety checks for the Gas Safety Certificates must be carried out by a Gas Safe Registered Engineer (previously known as CORGI Registered). It’s important to check the engineer’s Gas Safe ID card to check what work they are qualified to carry out before you allow them to work in your premises.

A regular gas engineer cannot conduct an inspection or issue the CP12. Only gas engineers that are registered are permitted to carry out the yearly gas safety inspection and can consequently issue a gas safety certificate.

The reasons why you should attain a gas safety certificate for your property are numerous and cannot be overemphasized. Aside from the fact that the law requires you to, further reasons include:

• Gas Safety Certificates checks help prevent gas leaks - Gas leaks are extremely hazardous especially if there are many tenants occupying a single property. Gas leaks are one of the major causes of home accidents in the UK, with a large number of explosions and fires coming to fruition because of leaks. The gas engineer will inspect the pipes visually and ensure the tightness on the pipes is robust. This diminishes the risk of a gas leaks considerably. 

• Gas Safety Certificates checks help prevent carbon monoxide poisoning - A gas safety check will reveal the presence of poisonous gases such as carbon monoxide. This is imperative because human senses are not able to detect the emission of carbon monoxide and it is fatal when mixed into the air we breathe. A safety check will reveal any carbon monoxide leaks which can be harmful to your tenants. Once revealed, the engineer can remedy the situation. 

• Rental Delays - Without a gas safety certificate, you can experience unnecessary delays when selling or renting out your property. It is a deterrent to potential buyers or renters when dealing with a property that has not been certified as gas safe. The only way to assure potential buyers or renters that the property is gas safe is by attaining a gas safety certificate. 

Your Gas Safe Registered Engineer will check all the gas appliances on the premises to make sure that they are safe to use and protected against gas or carbon monoxide leaks.
They will firstly perform a visual check for any obvious faults, as well as checking for the following:

• Checking of the chimneys and flues for any signs of blockage. Sometimes the engineer will use smoke pellets and trace how much of the smoke escapes the flue. If any returns to the origin, the flue is likely blocked and needs to be cleared.
• Check the gas connections and infrastructure to ensure that the gas supply is delivering gas safely and directly to your gas appliances. The engineer will check if all connections adhere to safety regulations.
• Checking of the ventilation and oxygen supply. The gas safe engineer will check if enough oxygen is supplied to correctly burn gas.
• Check all the gas appliances. The engineer, after carrying out all gas safety checks, will list manufacturer and model information for each gas appliance. They will test how they work and if they burn gas correctly, as per the manufacturer's instructions. 

Typical gas safety checks should take between 30-45 minutes; however, this will vary depending on how many appliances need to be checked and how easy they are for the engineer to access.

Once the gas safety checks have been carried out, your engineer will issue the gas certificate - CP12. Some engineers have moved over to digital versions of the gas safety certificates but many still use the handwritten paper versions - both of which are valid. Whilst the handwritten version is issued on the spot, some digital versions can take around 24 hours to be sent across. Paper versions will include a copy for both the landlord and the tenant, as well as one for the engineer. 

Gas Safety Certificates - CP12 should detail:

• The description and location of each appliance and flue that was checked.
• The name, registration number and signature of the engineer who made the gas safety checks.
• The date the gas safety checks were carried out.
• The address of the property where the appliances and flues are installed.
• The landlord’s or agent's name and address.
• Information on any safety defects and actions needed or taken to fix them.
• The results of all operational safety checks carried out on the appliances.

Yes. Simply having a gas safety check (CP12) carried out at the property is sometimes not enough. The engineer needs to confirm that all appliances in the property are safe to use before tenants are able to move in (or remain in the property).

If anything is amiss, the engineer might have to turn off and disconnect the appliance. If there is a simple fix to the problem, they might try to repair the appliance on the spot. However, if there is a need for more serious repair, they will include repair and maintenance recommendations in the report.

On Gas Safety Certificates, it will indicate a failure if any appliance is “Not Safe to use”. It will explain the findings of each failure (if any) using the codes listed below:

Not to Current Standard (NCS)

When an appliance has been noted as NCS, there is no immediate danger and is relatively safe. Overtime industry standards have changed and for that reason, existing installations may not always meet the current safety requirements.

It is possible to improve the installation to meet current standards as it could improve the reliability and lifespan of the installation. If it is a recent installation, you can contact the engineer that carried out the work to correct any identified faults. For older installations, your gas engineer can advise whether the installation should be brought in line with current standards.

At Risk (AR)

If an installation has one or more recognized faults present and is considered a danger to life or the property without further faults developing, it will be coded as “At Risk.” In which case, with your permission, the installation will be turned off and it is advised that it is not used again until the fault has been repaired.

Immediate Dangerous (ID)

When an installation which, if operated or left connected to a gas supply, is considered to be an immediate danger to life or property will be deemed “Immediate Dangerous”. The gas engineer with your permission will disconnect the appliance and will advise that it is not used until the necessary work has been carried to repair the problem. Continuing use of what is deemed as an “Immediate Dangerous” could put lives in danger.

Because of the potential danger, if you refuse to grant the gas engineer permission to disconnect the appliance or installation, it is his duty to report the situation to the Gas Emergency Service Provider (ESP). The ESP has legal powers to demand entry to a property when pertaining to the safety others. The ESP may also decide to disconnect the gas supply to the property.

Gas safety certificates are valid for one year only and landlords are advised to keep records of at least the previous two years of certificates and gas safety checks.

The simple answer is yes. Private homeowners are not mandated by law to have gas safety certificates for their houses and as such, you can legally sell your house without a gas safety certificate.

However, having the certificate does not cost much and only carries positive connotations. Firstly, with the safety check and the certificate, you ensure that your property is gas safe, and the life within the property is not at risk.

More so, with a gas safety certificate it will only make it easier selling your property as it provides potential buyers with a peace of mind. Even though gas safety certificates are not a legal requirement for the sale of private properties, potential buyers want to certify that the property they are buying is gas safe. Thus, having the certificate is an advantage.