Gas safety certificates: the 12-month rule and what trips landlords up

If your rental has any gas appliance (boiler, hob, fire) you need an annual Gas Safety Record (often called a CP12).

The basics

• Inspection by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
• Repeat at most 12 months after the last one.
• Provide the certificate to existing tenants within 28 days of the check.
• Provide it to new tenants before they move in.

The hidden trap

You can do the new inspection up to 2 months before the existing certificate expires without losing the renewal date. So an inspection on 1 March is treated as if it happened on 1 April for renewal purposes (if the previous one expired on 1 April).

This matters because if you let the certificate lapse:

• You cannot serve a Section 21 notice until you've put it right.
• The HSE can prosecute (unlimited fine, up to 6 months in prison for serious cases).

Smoke and CO alarms

A separate but related rule: every floor needs a working smoke alarm, every room with a fixed combustion appliance (boilers, fires, but not gas hobs) needs a CO alarm. Test on the first day of every new tenancy and document the test.

Track it in havelo

Add the certificate to the Compliance module (/dashboard/compliance). The system reminds you 30 days before expiry and will auto-create a maintenance request to book the next inspection.

This is general guidance only.