If you let a property with gas appliances, a Gas Safe registered engineer must check them at least every 12 months. Keep each gas safety record (CP12) for at least 2 years, and give your tenants a copy within 28 days of the check, or before new tenants move in. These duties come from regulation 36 of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, which applies in England, Wales and Scotland. The HSE landlord FAQs say breaking the regulations can lead to a substantial fine and/or a custodial sentence. This page covers who the duty applies to, what the check covers, what happens when an appliance fails, and how gas service businesses keep renewal dates under control across many sites.

What is a CP12 gas safety certificate called today?

The HSE guidance on gas safety check records calls it the landlord gas safety record, and says it was previously referred to as a gas safety record, certificate or CP12 form. Landlords, letting agents and engineers still use "CP12" and "gas safety certificate" for the same document.

The record confirms that an engineer has checked the gas appliances and flues the landlord provides. HSE says that since 1 April 2009, a record is only valid if the engineer who carried out the check is registered with the Gas Safe Register. The gov.uk Regulated Professions Register says registering with Gas Safe Register is a legal requirement for anyone carrying out gas work in the UK.

Who needs a gas safety certificate (CP12)?

Under these regulations, a landlord is anyone who rents out a property they own under a lease of less than 7 years, or under a licence, according to the HSE landlord FAQs. That covers councils, housing associations and private landlords, including landlords of lodgers, as Shelter's guidance on gas safety in rented homes explains. HSE also lists bedsits, bed and breakfast and hotel rooms, and rented holiday accommodation such as cottages, caravans and narrow boats.

If you provide a gas appliance in a rented home, you're responsible for having it checked. If your contract gives a managing or letting agent responsibility, the same duties apply to the agent. Appliances the tenant owns sit outside your duty, but you remain responsible for parts of the associated installation and pipework. HSE recommends including their flues in your check.

What are a landlord's legal duties for gas safety?

The duties sit in regulation 36, and HSE summarises them in its guidance on gas safety check records. The core obligations are:

• Annual inspection: check each gas appliance and flue within 12 months of installation, and at intervals of no more than 12 months after that
• Record keeping: keep each record for at least 2 years
• Tenant copy: give existing tenants a copy within 28 days of the check, and new tenants a copy before they move in
• Qualified engineer: use only a Gas Safe registered engineer to carry out the check

Under regulation 36A, added in 2018, you can have the check done up to 2 months before it is due and keep the original deadline date. That lets you book ahead and avoid a lapse between tenancies. If you use the window, HSE says you will have to demonstrate that you carried out the checks within the required timescales, and the record needs to be kept until two further checks have been carried out.

You can keep records electronically. HSE says the electronic copy must be capable of being reproduced in hard copy, secure from loss and interference, and must uniquely identify the engineer who did the check, for example through an electronic or scanned signature, their licence number or their name. You can give tenants an electronic copy if they agree and can access it, but you must give them a paper copy if they ask.

For stays of less than 28 days, such as holiday lets, you can display a legible copy of the record in a prominent place in the premises instead. The same applies where the gas appliance isn't in a room the tenant uses, as long as the notice tells tenants how to request their own copy.

What should you do if a tenant refuses access?

You must not use force to enter the property. HSE says a landlord has to show they took all reasonable steps to comply, and strongly advises keeping a record of all correspondence with the tenant. HSE recommends leaving a notice that an attempt was made, and writing to explain that the check is a legal requirement and give the tenant the chance to arrange their own appointment. HSE inspectors will look for at least three attempts, though a court decides what was reasonable in each case. Shelter adds that tenants should get reasonable notice and can't be charged for the check.

What are the penalties for breaking gas safety rules?

HSE says a breach can result in a substantial fine and/or a custodial sentence. According to Shelter, HSE can prosecute landlords who break the rules, and private tenants can also contact their council's private rented housing team if a landlord doesn't carry out gas safety checks.

How does the end of Section 21 affect the gas safety duty?

Since 1 May 2026, private landlords in England cannot give section 21 notices, according to Shelter. The old link between gas safety records and valid section 21 notices therefore only matters for notices given before that date. The gas safety duty itself is unchanged. Your annual check, record keeping and tenant copy duties stay as they were.

Do landlords need carbon monoxide alarms as well?

In England, yes. Since 1 October 2022, landlords must equip a carbon monoxide alarm in any room used as living accommodation that contains a fixed combustion appliance, excluding gas cookers. The government's Q&A booklet for landlords and tenants says local housing authorities enforce the requirement and can fine a landlord up to £5,000 for failing to comply with a remedial notice. The rules don't apply where the tenant shares accommodation with the landlord or their family. Scotland and Wales have their own rules, which HSE points to from its FAQs.

What happens during a CP12 gas safety check?

The check covers every gas appliance and flue the landlord provides, including the boiler. Knowing what's inspected helps you prepare the property and read the record afterwards.

What does the engineer check?

Regulation 36(9) says the check must include, but isn't limited to, the examinations in regulation 26(9). The engineer examines:

• Flue: the effectiveness of any flue
• Ventilation: the supply of combustion air
• Operating pressure or heat input: the operating pressure, the heat input, or both, or the combustion performance where pressure or heat input can't reasonably be examined
• Safe functioning: the appliance's operation, to make sure it functions safely

Who can carry out the inspection?

Only a Gas Safe registered engineer can carry out the check. Before the visit, check the engineer on the Gas Safe Register. HSE advises checking that the engineer is competent to work in the specific area of gas involved, which is marked on the back of their ID card. Make sure the types of gas work listed match the appliances in your property.

What does a CP12 record include?

The engineer records their findings for every appliance and flue checked. Under regulation 36(3), and as HSE sets out, the record must include at least the following:

You don't have to sign the record, but your name and address, or your letting agent's, must be on it. Gas Safe Register doesn't produce its own form, so many retailers supply them. If you want to use your own design, give it to the engineer to fill in before the check. You need a new check every 12 months to stay compliant, and you can book it inside the 2-month early window to keep your existing deadline.

How much does a CP12 certificate cost?

The cost depends on the number of appliances and your location. The Gas Safe Register has no control over engineers' charges, and HSE advises getting quotes from three engineers before hiring one. HSE also says not to assume a boiler service includes the points a safety check requires, so ask whether both can be booked together. Joblogic's guide to boiler service certificates covers how the two differ.

What happens if a property fails the gas safety check?

The engineer issues the record when the checks are complete. HSE says it shouldn't be delayed because defects are found, or until remedial work is done. It describes the record as a living document, and you should add records of any follow-up action to it.

If a Gas Safe registered engineer switches off an appliance, it is because it is unsafe and shouldn't be used. If a heating appliance has been disconnected, HSE says you must provide your tenant with emergency heating while you arrange remedial work by a Gas Safe registered engineer. Keep the repair paperwork with the gas safety record. If anyone smells gas, call the National Grid Gas Emergency Freephone on 0800 111 999.

What checks do you need between tenancies?

Before you re-let a property, make sure all appliances and flues are safe and have an up-to-date gas safety record. New tenants must receive a copy before they move in. If you suspect an appliance has been tampered with, or the property was empty and open to vandalism, HSE recommends arranging another check before giving access to new tenants.

How gas service businesses manage CP12 renewals across many sites

For a landlord with one or two properties, a calendar reminder works. For a gas service business managing CP12 inspections across dozens or hundreds of sites, a manual approach leaves gaps. A reminder goes unread and a certificate lapses. An engineer finishes a visit, and the paperwork reaches the office later. A contract manager preparing for a customer review searches several filing systems for the right records.

Joblogic's gas engineer software lets engineers complete, store and send gas safety certificates, including CP12s, from the mobile app. Customers can sign on site, certificates are sent electronically as soon as they're complete, and each one is stored with the customer's details and job history. Where the signal is poor, engineers can still create certificates on the device, and the app syncs them once the connection returns. The gas certificate app page shows the full certificate library.

For annual servicing, Joblogic's service jobs feature, set up in the back office, lets you apply a recurrence such as annually to a residential customer's sites. You choose when the first reminder letter goes out ahead of the compliance expiry date, for example 6 weeks before, and the system schedules a provisional appointment and generates the visit. Letters can be batch emailed or printed. If an engineer can't get in, marking "No Access" on the mobile app schedules a second reminder letter and generates a second visit, and each job can carry up to three letters. If access still fails, an escalation pack collects the reminder letters, job sheet and no access forms as evidence of your attempts to hand to your client, in line with the record of attempts HSE advises landlords to keep.

Joblogic also tracks gas compliance and sites with an invalid landlord gas safety record, and its service jobs guide walks through the setup.

Joblogic's boiler servicing feature adds an annual service date for each property that renews automatically. Businesses running planned preventive maintenance (PPM) contracts can schedule visits at asset level, with auto-renewing service dates and certificate tracking. Gas certificates and boiler servicing are included on Standard, Premium and Enterprise plans.

When an ad-hoc callout raises a defect in Joblogic, the job history and asset information are already in the system, and engineers can view them in the mobile app.

If you need dedicated certificate tracking, Joblogic Compliance (powered by Clik) is a separate product. It sends automatic alerts before certificates expire, either internally or to customers.

What landlords and service teams should do next

The gas safety duty hasn't changed through the Section 21 changes, so your annual check is still the fixed point in the calendar. Landlords should confirm every property has a current record, check carbon monoxide alarms are in place, and book renewals inside the 2-month window. For gas service businesses, the question is whether your office can show every customer a valid record for every site on request. If the answer depends on searching inboxes and folders, that's the process to fix first.

If you'd like to see how your team could track CP12 renewals from one system, book a demo with one of our specialists.

CP12 gas safety certificate: FAQs

Can a landlord rent out a property with gas appliances and no valid CP12?

No. You must have a current gas safety record before a tenant moves in and renew the check every 12 months for the length of the tenancy. HSE says breaking the regulations can lead to a substantial fine and/or a custodial sentence.

How long must a landlord keep a CP12 certificate?

Keep each record for at least 2 years. If you use the 2-month early window, keep it until two further checks have been carried out. You can store it electronically if it can be reproduced in hard copy, is secure from loss and interference, and uniquely identifies the engineer. Give existing tenants a copy within 28 days of the check, and new tenants a copy before they move in.

How early can you renew a CP12?

Up to 2 months before the deadline, and you keep the original deadline date. If you use the window, you will have to demonstrate that you carried out the checks within the required timescales.

Is a CP12 the same as a boiler service?

No. HSE advises you shouldn't assume a boiler service includes the points a gas safety check requires, or that a safety check alone provides effective maintenance. If you need both, ask your engineer whether they can be booked together.

Does the engineer hold back the CP12 until repairs are done?

No. HSE says the record should be issued when the checks are complete, even if defects are found. The record lists the defects, and you're responsible for arranging the repairs and adding the follow-up action to the record.

What should a landlord do if a tenant refuses access for the gas safety check?

Don't use force. Leave a notice that you attempted the check, write to explain that it is a legal requirement and give the tenant the chance to arrange their own appointment, and keep a record of every attempt. HSE inspectors will look for at least three attempts, though a court decides what was reasonable in each case.

Do the CP12 rules apply in Scotland and Wales?

Regulation 36 applies in England, Wales and Scotland. Some related landlord duties differ between countries. For example, the carbon monoxide alarm rules described for England are set out in separate regulations, and HSE points to the Scottish and Welsh guidance from its FAQs.

Who is responsible for gas appliances the tenant owns?

The tenant is responsible for appliances they own. The landlord remains responsible for parts of the associated installation and pipework, and HSE recommends including the flues of tenant-owned appliances in the landlord's gas safety check.

Can you give tenants an electronic copy of a CP12?

Yes, if the tenant is happy to receive it electronically and can access it. You must give them a paper copy if they ask for one. A landlord, or a gas engineer with the landlord's agreement, can send the electronic record directly to the tenant.