Great Britain gas-safety duty
Arrange the annual landlord gas safety check with a Gas Safe registered engineer and keep the record and repair trail.
Arrange a landlord gas safety check
Confirm the engineer on the Gas Safe Register and ask which appliances and flues the price covers.
The landlord’s core duties
In Great Britain, landlords must keep relevant gas pipework, appliances and flues in a safe condition, arrange an annual safety check for gas appliances and flues they provide for tenants, and keep a record. The check and gas work must be carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer qualified for the appliance and work.
Give a copy of the gas safety record to each existing tenant within 28 days of the check and to a new tenant before occupation. Display rules can apply where tenants occupy for less than 28 days. Act promptly on any defect and prevent use of equipment identified as unsafe.
What the annual check is not
A gas safety check is not automatically a full boiler service. The safety check verifies specified safety matters; servicing follows the manufacturer’s instructions and maintenance needs. Ask what the appointment includes and keep separate service or repair paperwork.
What should appear on the record
The record should identify the property, appliance or flue, checks carried out, results, defects and action, the engineer and registration details, the date, and the landlord or agent. Review it when received; a document is not useful if it omits an appliance that should have been checked.
Tenant access
Plan early, give the notice required by the tenancy and law, offer reasonable appointments and keep a factual trail of attempts. Do not enter unlawfully or treat a refusal as permission to ignore the duty. HSE guidance explains reasonable steps; take legal advice if access remains disputed.
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland has separate legislation and official guidance. Its core landlord duties also include maintaining provided gas equipment, arranging annual checks through a Gas Safe registered engineer and supplying records, but use nidirect or HSENI for the current local position.