Gas Saftey Certificate: Our guide for landlords, homeowners and selling houses.

How does certification work?

Certification is generally pretty quick and easy and you should know the results straight away. If any issues are found during safety checks, you should get them sorted immediately to ensure that your property is safe to use.

If you’re a landlord trying to get their paperwork in order, or if you run a B&B or take in lodgers, understanding the gas safe procedures is essential. Here, we take a closer look at gas safety and how you can get a gas safety certificate for your property.

What is a gas safety certificate?

Common household appliances that use gas include:

• Water heaters
• Boilers
• Cookers
• Patio heaters
• Gas fires
• Gas fridges

All of these appliances should be checked at least once a year to ensure they are working properly. As well as the appliances, your engineer will check the flues, chimneys and fittings to ensure that there are no leaks and that everything has been installed correctly.

Landlords and business owners that fail to get their gas safety certificates done on time, or those who fail to arrange a certificate altogether, can face serious penalties. Running a property without a gas safety certificate can result in a fine of up to £6,000 and, in extreme cases, landlords can be imprisoned for the offence. Checks should always be carried out by a registered gas safe engineer.

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How to arrange a gas safety certificate

You can get a gas safety certificate, also known as a gas safety record, by booking an appointment with a registered Gas Safe engineer. If you don’t know any Gas Safe engineers in your local area, you can find a registered engineer using the official Gas Safe Register . This lists all qualified professionals in the country.

Once you’ve found a local engineer, you simply need to get in touch to arrange a convenient time for the inspection. If you already have a gas safety certificate, you need to ensure that the appointment takes place before the old certificate expires.

When the engineer arrives at your property, they’ll carry out a visual check of all gas-powered appliances. They’ll also have a look at any pipe work that is easily accessible. The engineer will then carry out tests to the pipe work to ensure that it’s in good condition and to check there are no leaks in the system.

Once the checks are complete, the engineer will issue you with a gas safety certificate. This should be kept safe for your records. You’ll also need to give your tenants a copy of the certificate. This should be presented to them within 28 days of the checks being carried out.

Gas safety certificate requirements

A gas safety certificate, or gas safety record, contains a number of important pieces of information. All of these points need to be filled out clearly and in detail in order for the document to be acceptable. At the very minimum, your certificate should list:

• A description of each appliance or flue and its location within the property
• The registration number and name of the engineer that carried out the checks
• The signature of the engineer that carried out the checks
• The date
• The address of the property
• The landlord’s name and address

If any defects have been found during the inspection, these need to be listed on the gas safety record. The record should also show if any action has been taken, or needs to be taken to rectify these defects. Gas safety certificates need to be renewed every twelve months.

Why are gas safety checks required?

If the concentration of carbon monoxide in the home becomes too high, it can become dangerous. Carbon monoxide poisoning can cause nausea, dizziness, fatigue and, in extreme cases, it can be fatal.

Leaking gas appliances can also pose a fire risk to the home. Gas is extremely flammable. If it’s trapped inside a property, it can build up to dangerous levels. If this gas is ignited by a spark or naked flame, it can cause a potentially damaging explosion.

Who needs a gas safety certificate?

If you’re a private homeowner who doesn’t let rooms out to lodgers or paying guests, you aren’t required by law to have a gas safety certificate. However, it’s still a good idea to get your appliances checked on a regular basis to ensure that they’re in good working order and don’t pose a risk to your household.

If you’re a landlord, you’re legally required to make sure the gas appliances, fittings, chimneys and flues in your property are safe for your tenants. This also applies to people who rent out rooms in their properties, run holiday lets and have B&Bs. Even if you only have people staying in your home periodically, for example, students on exchange trips, you should still arrange a gas safety certificate and ensure the appliances in your property are safe to use.

Gas safety checks are needed by:

• Landlords
• Housing associations
• Local authorities
• Hotels and B&Bs
• Holiday lets
• Colleges
• Boarding schools
• Hostels

The difference between a gas safety certificate and gas safe certification

Two terms that you’ll see a lot when researching the subject are gas safety certificate and gas safe certification. The gas safety certificate is the document you receive from the engineer when the checks have been carried out. Gas safety certification is what the engineer needs in order to be able to carry out the inspection and issue the document.

Gas safety certification is issued to professionals who have undergone relevant training and assessments. It shows that they have the knowledge and expertise necessary to adequately carry out the checks required. All gas safety checks should be done by a professional with gas safety certification.

If you’re applying for Government Green Funding for smarter energy consumption you’ll also need to use a gas safe engineer. Their accreditation shows that they’re properly qualified for the job and so will complete the work to a high standard.

FAQ

What does a gas safety certificate cost?

The cost of a gas safety certificate will vary depending on the number of appliances that need to be checked. The minimum you can expect to pay is £35, although it generally costs at least £60 to obtain a gas safety certificate on one appliance. If you have a number of gas-powered appliances that need to be inspected, you could pay up to £150 for the certificate.

Do you need a gas safety certificate to sell your house?

As the vendor, you are not legally required to provide the buyer with a gas safety certificate. However, if you’re selling a rental property, a holiday let or another business that requires a gas safety certificate, it can often be beneficial to have up-to-date inspections available.

What is a landlord gas safety certificate?

The gas safety certificates required by landlords is the same as the certificate required by all other relevant businesses and organisations. Landlords can either arrange for the certification to be carried out themselves, or they can ask their agent or management company to organise the paperwork. Landlords who fail to get a gas safety certificate can face serious penalties including fines and imprisonment.

Is a gas safety certificate the same as a CP12 Certificate?

The official trade name for a gas safety certificate is a CP12 Certificate. It’s also known as a gas safety record. All of these names refer to the same document.