Gas Safety: Your Legal Obligations

As a landlord, ensuring gas safety is one of your most critical responsibilities. Failure to comply can result in fines up to £6,000, imprisonment, and being barred from letting.

Legal Requirements

You Must:

• Have all gas appliances, flues, and pipework checked annually
• Use a Gas Safe registered engineer
• Keep records for 2 years
• Provide a copy of the certificate to tenants within 28 days
• Display the engineer's Gas Safe ID number on the certificate

What Gets Checked

A full gas safety inspection includes:

• Boiler and heating system
• Gas fire (if present)
• Gas cooker (if landlord-provided)
• Pipework visible or accessible
• Ventilation adequacy
• Flue integrity and termination

Timing and Renewals

Standard approach:

• Check valid for 12 months from date of inspection
• Must renew before expiry

MOT-style approach (recommended):

• If renewed up to 2 months early, new certificate runs from previous expiry date
• Gives you flexibility without losing time

What If Tenant Refuses Access?

Document everything:

1. Send written notice (keep copy)
2. Attempt at least 3 appointments at varied times
3. Keep records of all attempts
4. Consider whether ground for possession applies

Digital Record Keeping

Upload your gas safety certificates to Roost. We'll:

• Track expiry dates automatically
• Send reminders at 60, 30, and 7 days
• Store certificates for the required 2+ years
• Generate compliance reports for multiple properties

Finding an Engineer

Always verify at: www.gassaferegister.co.uk

• Check the engineer's ID card
• Confirm they're qualified for the specific work
• Get written quotes before committing