Gas Safety Check: What It Covers, Who Needs One and What It Costs

Engineer checking a boiler in a London home

A gas safety check is a visual and functional inspection of the gas appliances, pipework and flues in a property, carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer. If you let out a home with gas, the law requires one every year and you must give your tenants the record. If you own and live in your home, it is not a legal duty, but it is the sensible way to catch a fault before it hurts anyone. This guide explains what the engineer inspects, the landlord rules, what happens when something fails and what you can expect to pay.

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TL;DR

Landlords must have every gas appliance and flue they supply checked each year by a Gas Safe registered engineer, and give tenants the record within 28 days of the check, or before a new tenant moves in.
You can book the check up to two months before the due date and keep the original expiry date.
A check is not a service: it tests safety, it does not clean or maintain the appliance.
Typical landlord certificate prices run from roughly £60 to £120 depending on appliances, and are higher in London. Get several quotes.
Always verify the engineer’s licence on the Gas Safe Register before they start.

What a gas safety check actually involves
Who needs a gas safety check
The landlord rules in plain terms
What happens if an appliance fails
How to check your engineer is Gas Safe registered
How much a gas safety check costs
Our perspective: what we see in London homes
When you need more than a check
Preparing for the visit
FAQ
Sources

What a gas safety check actually involves

The engineer looks at each gas appliance and flue and tests that it is working safely. Gas Safe Register describes a check as an assessment of basic safety, covering ventilation, safety devices and combustion. In practice that means boilers, gas cookers and hobs, gas fires and any other appliance the landlord supplies, together with the flues that carry fumes outside.

A typical visit follows this order:

Identification. The engineer notes each appliance, where it is and what it is.
Visual inspection. They look at the appliance, its flue and the area around it for damage, poor installation or signs of burning.
Operating tests. They run the appliance to confirm that the safety devices work and that combustion is safe.
Ventilation and flue checks. They confirm there is enough air supply and that fumes are being removed properly.
Record. They write up the results, including any defects and what must be done about them.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) also advises that landlords have installation pipework examined during the visit. It is not strictly part of the legal annual check, but it protects the integrity of the whole system, so ask for it when you book.

A check is not a service

This is the most common mix-up. A safety check assesses whether an appliance is safe to use right now. A service goes further: it includes maintenance such as cleaning components and replacing parts in line with the manufacturer’s instructions. Gas Safe Register treats annual landlord safety checks and servicing as separate things, and both must be done by a registered engineer.

A boiler can pass a safety check and still be overdue a service. If your boiler is old, noisy or losing pressure, ask for both on one visit. Combined visits often cost less than two separate bookings.

Who needs a gas safety check

Landlords: a legal duty every year

GOV.UK is clear that a landlord must have a Gas Safe registered engineer check every gas appliance and flue they supply once a year. The duty comes from the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. HSE adds that the checks must be completed every year for each relevant appliance and flue, and that before a new tenancy starts the checks must have been completed within the previous year.

The duty sits with the landlord. Gas Safe Register points out that registered engineers are not responsible for making sure your checks are up to date, so diarise the renewal yourself.

Homeowners: not required, still wise

If you live in your own home, no law obliges you to have an annual check. HSE guidance for householders is blunt about the alternative, though: DIY work on gas appliances can be dangerous and is likely to be illegal. An annual check, or a service that includes one, is the simplest way to know your boiler, hob and fire are burning safely.

Some people can get this for free. The HSE says consumers who are over 60, chronically sick, disabled, deaf or hearing-impaired, or blind or visually impaired can join their supplier’s Priority Service Register and receive a free annual check, except in rented accommodation. Ask your gas supplier what applies to you.

Businesses and commercial kitchens

Shops, offices and catering units with gas appliances need appliances kept safe too, and commercial kitchens are usually inspected on a similar annual rhythm. The rules differ from the domestic landlord regime, so tell the engineer at booking that the property is commercial, and ask which certificate they will issue.

The landlord rules in plain terms

Timing and the two-month window

The check is annual. Under the 2018 amendment to the regulations, a landlord may carry out the check up to two months before the due date and still keep the original expiry date. Gas Safe Register describes the same flexibility as booking any time from 10 to 12 months after the last check. Book earlier or later than that and your renewal date resets to 12 months from the new check.

Example: your last check was on 15 March. You can book anywhere from 15 January and the next one will still fall due on 15 March the following year. Book in December and the clock restarts from December.

Annual gas safety check renewal timeline

Giving tenants the record

After the visit you receive a Landlord Gas Safety Record, often still called a CP12. The rules on handing it over:

Existing tenants: a copy within 28 days of the check.
New tenants: a copy before they move in.
Retention: HSE says records should generally be kept for at least two years.

HSE also lists what the record must contain: the location and description of each appliance checked, the engineer’s name, signature and registration number, the date, the property address, the landlord’s details and any defects found with the action taken. If a record lacks any of these, ask the engineer to correct it.

When a tenant will not allow access

HSE expects you to make repeated, reasonable attempts: leave notices, write to the tenant explaining the legal safety requirement and offer them a chance to arrange an appointment. You must not use force. HSE notes that a court ultimately decides whether your steps were reasonable, so keep a record of every attempt.

Tenants: how to confirm a certificate exists

As a tenant, you are entitled to the record. The landlord must give you a copy before you move in or within 28 days of the check. If you have not seen one, ask in writing. The record should show the engineer’s registration number, which you can verify yourself using the steps below.

What happens if an appliance fails

A fail is not a disaster, it is the check doing its job. HSE says that where faults are found, the landlord must arrange remedial action and make sure the appliance is not used if it is unsafe. The record should not be held back until repairs are finished. It should be issued on completion of the checks and supplemented with records of the follow-up work.

What that means in practice:

The engineer explains the defect and may turn off or label the appliance as unsafe.
You arrange the repair promptly. A boiler with a failed flue test is not something to leave for a convenient weekend.
The repair is recorded, and the tenant receives the paperwork.

If the engineer finds a gas leak or smells gas during the visit, treat it as an emergency: open windows, switch off the supply at the meter if it is safe to do so, avoid flames and switches, and call the National Gas Emergency number on 0800 111 999.

How to check your engineer is Gas Safe registered

Only a registered engineer may do this work legally. Verification takes a minute:

Ask to see the engineer’s Gas Safe ID card when they arrive, or before booking.
Take the licence number from the card.
Enter it into the Check an Engineer service on the Gas Safe Register website.
Confirm that the types of gas work shown match what you are paying for.

Gas Safe Register also investigates reports of substandard work and can issue defect notices to registered engineers whose work does not meet safety standards. If something looks wrong after a visit, report it.

How much a gas safety check costs

There is no fixed national price. Gas Safe Register has no control over engineers’ charges, and HSE advises landlords to obtain quotes from three different engineers.

As a guide to the market, one 2026 landlord cost guide puts a certificate at £70 to £100 for a boiler plus one other appliance, with each extra appliance adding £10 to £20, and notes that prices run higher in London and the South East. The same guide says the certificate paperwork is included in the engineer’s fee rather than charged separately.

Property	Typical market range
Boiler only	£60 to £80
Boiler plus hob or fire	£70 to £100
Boiler, hob and fire	£80 to £120
Each additional appliance	£10 to £20

These are market figures from that guide, not our prices. What moves the price in London:

Number of appliances. More appliances means more testing time.
Access and layout. Hard-to-reach flues or appliances spread across several floors take longer.
Combined bookings. A check plus a boiler service on one visit is often better value.
Multiple properties. Landlords with several flats can often negotiate a better rate per unit.
Urgency. Short-notice and out-of-hours visits usually cost more.

Be wary of a price far below the others. A rushed check that skips tests is worth nothing if there is a fault, and a record that is incomplete may not satisfy your legal duty. Ask what the quote covers, whether the record is included and what a remedial visit would cost.

Our perspective: what we see in London homes

We are Gas Safe registered engineers working across London, and the pattern is familiar. Most gas problems announce themselves late. A boiler that has been quietly misfiring, a hob with a poorly fitted connection or a flue that has been boxed in during a refit can all look fine to the occupant.

Three things we would tell any landlord or homeowner:

Treat the check as a minimum. The annual record proves the appliances were safe on one day. A service in between keeps them that way.
Ask for fixed quotes. You should know what the job costs before work starts, including any repair that comes out of the check. That is how we quote, so nothing arrives as a surprise at the end.
Do not delay repairs after a fail. Landlords sometimes postpone a flue or ventilation fix because the appliance still works. Working is not the same as safe.

— the author

When you need more than a check

A check often turns up work: a failed boiler, a leaking joint, a cooker that needs reconnecting or an old appliance past economic repair. Our Gas Works service covers repairs and gas work carried out by Gas Safe registered engineers, and if your boiler has reached the end of its life we also fit new ones through our Boiler Installation service. Every job is quoted at a fixed price before we start, and you pay on completion.

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If a gas problem is urgent, or you have found water damage as well, our 24/7 emergency call out covers all London boroughs. You can also start from our Evo Plumbers home page.

Preparing for the visit

A little preparation makes the check quicker and keeps the cost down:

Clear access to the boiler, meter, hob and any gas fire.
Tell the engineer about every gas appliance, including ones in cupboards or outbuildings.
Have the previous record to hand, if you have one.
Tell tenants in writing in good time, and offer a choice of appointments.
Make sure someone over 18 can let the engineer in if you cannot attend.
Mention any smells, pilot light problems, black marks or condensation around appliances.

FAQ

Is a gas safety check the same as a gas safety certificate?

The check is the inspection; the certificate, formally the Landlord Gas Safety Record or CP12, is the paperwork issued afterwards. Homeowners can have a check without any landlord record. Landlords need the record to prove they met their legal duty.

How often do I need a gas safety check?

Landlords need one every 12 months for each relevant appliance and flue. You can have it done up to two months early without losing your original renewal date. Homeowners have no legal requirement, but an annual check or service is sensible.

Can I do the gas safety check myself?

No. Gas work must be done by a Gas Safe registered engineer, and HSE warns that DIY work on gas appliances is likely to be illegal as well as dangerous. A landlord’s annual check only counts if a registered engineer carried it out.

What should I do if my landlord has not given me a gas safety record?

Ask in writing. Your landlord must give you the record before you move in, or within 28 days of each annual check. If you smell gas, leave the property and call 0800 111 999 straight away.

Sources

Written with BabyLoveGrowth’s AI