What a landlord gas safety check includes

Landlords are often handed a gas safety record without knowing what was actually tested. If a tenant, an agent or a council licensing officer asks, it helps to understand it. This guide explains, in plain English, what a Gas Safe registered engineer checks on a landlord inspection and what the record has to show.

The legal core: four checks

The law behind the check is the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. HSE says the record must confirm the check included an examination of the matters in paragraphs (a) to (d) of regulation 26(9) (HSE, records). In everyday terms, those are:

Regulation 26(9) item	What it means in your flat
(a) The flue works	Fumes are carried safely outside. For a combi in a Hackney flat, the sealed flue is intact and the terminal outside is clear
(b) Enough air for burning	The appliance gets the air it needs. For a gas fire or open flued boiler, vents are present and not blocked
(c) Gas pressure or heat input	The appliance burns the right amount of gas, measured with test instruments
(d) Safe operation	Safety devices work, such as the flame supervision device that cuts the gas if the flame goes out

Each appliance and flue gets these checks. A flat with a boiler, a hob and a gas fire has three sets of results.

What the engineer will physically do

On a typical visit the engineer will:

• look at each appliance for damage, scorching or signs of poor burning
• check each flue route, inside and out, as far as it can be seen
• measure gas pressure at the appliance or meter
• run each appliance and watch the flame picture
• use a flue gas analyser on boilers to read the combustion results
• for open flued appliances such as older gas fires, carry out a spillage test to make sure fumes are going up the chimney and not into the room
• check ventilation where the appliance needs it
• check safety devices cut the gas when they should

If a boiler flue is hidden in a ceiling or wall void with no inspection hatch, the engineer cannot see it. Since 1 January 2013, an engineer in that position will class the boiler as At Risk and, with permission, turn it off until hatches are fitted (HSE, flues in voids). This is common in some converted and newer flats.

What the record must contain

HSE lists the minimum contents of a landlord gas safety record:

1. a description and the location of each appliance or flue checked
2. the name, registration number and signature of the engineer
3. the date of the check
4. the address of the property
5. the name and address of the landlord, or their agent
6. any safety related defect found and any action taken
7. confirmation that the regulation 26(9) checks were done

There is no single official form. CP12 was the old form name and is still widely used in London. HSE says you can design your own, as long as the engineer fills it in before the check, and it is only valid if the engineer is on the Gas Safe Register.

What is not included

Two things surprise landlords.

Pipework. HSE says installation pipework, the pipes from the meter to the appliances, is not covered by the annual check. It still has to be maintained in a safe condition. HSE recommends asking the engineer to test the whole system for soundness, meaning a tightness test for leaks, and to look over the pipework as far as is reasonably practical (HSE, pipework). In Victorian houses split into flats, pipe runs can be long and partly hidden under floors, so this extra test is worth asking for.

Servicing. A safety check is not a service. HSE recommends appliances are serviced to the manufacturer’s instructions, or every year if there are none. Our post on the difference between a gas safety check and a boiler service explains what each covers.

If something fails

The engineer will follow the Gas Industry Unsafe Situations Procedure. An appliance found Immediately Dangerous will be disconnected with your permission. An At Risk appliance will be turned off with your permission and labelled “Danger Do Not Use”. A Not to Current Standards note is advice; acting on it is your choice (Gas Safe Register, warning labels).

HSE is clear that the record should be issued when the check is finished, even if faults are found, and not held back until repairs are done. You then add the repair details to it. Read what it means when a gas engineer turns off your boiler for more.

Checks that are not gas, but often come up

Engineers will often notice whether a carbon monoxide alarm is fitted in rooms with a boiler or gas fire. Since 1 October 2022, rented homes in England need a carbon monoxide alarm in any room used as living accommodation with a fixed combustion appliance, excluding gas cookers. That is a separate legal duty, but the visit is a good time to test the alarm. See carbon monoxide alarms.

Preparing for the visit

To keep the visit short:

• tell tenants the date and ask them to clear the boiler cupboard and the area around the hob
• make sure the engineer can reach the gas meter, especially if it is in a locked communal cupboard
• list every gas appliance, including any portable heaters you provide
• have the last record to hand so the engineer can compare

London Gas Engineers carries out landlord gas safety certificates in Hackney and across north and east London. Whoever you use, ask to see the Gas Safe ID card and check the back lists each type of appliance in your property.