How much does a gas safety certificate cost?
Most gas safety certificates cost between £60 and £90 for a typical rented home with a boiler and one other gas appliance. The price rises with each extra appliance and is higher in large cities. These ranges come from published UK price guides and are typical, not fixed:
| What is checked | Typical UK cost |
|---|---|
| Boiler plus one gas hob or fire | Typically £60 to £90 (Checkatrade and MyBuilder) |
| Boiler plus one appliance, higher end of the market | Up to about £150 (MyBuilder) |
| Each extra gas appliance | Typically £20 to £50 (MyBuilder) |
| Full check on a property with lots of appliances | Typically £150 to £250 (MyBuilder) |
What drives the price
- Number of appliances. Every appliance and flue the landlord provides has to be tested and listed on the record.
- Type of appliance. A gas fire with an open flue needs flue and spillage tests, which take longer than a hob check.
- Location. Prices are generally higher in London and other large cities.
- Urgency. Same-day or emergency bookings cost more.
- Who books it. If a letting agent arranges the check, ask whether their price includes a fee on top of the engineer's charge.
How much is a landlord gas safety certificate?
A landlord gas safety certificate costs the same as any gas safety check, typically £60 to £90 for a boiler and one other appliance. Many engineers offer the safety check and a full boiler service at the same visit for a combined price, which is usually cheaper than two separate call-outs. Service prices on their own are in our boiler service cost guide.
What is a gas safety certificate?
A gas safety certificate is the written record a Gas Safe registered engineer gives you after checking that your gas appliances, flues and pipework are safe. Its official name for rented homes is the Landlord Gas Safety Record. People still call it a CP12, a name left over from the CORGI scheme that the Gas Safe Register replaced in 2009.
Regulation 36 of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 sets out what a landlord's record must include:
- the date of the check and the address of the property
- the name and address of the landlord or their agent
- a description and the location of each appliance and flue checked
- any safety defect found and any remedial action taken
- confirmation that the check covered the required safety tests
- the name, signature and Gas Safe registration number of the engineer
The required tests cover the effectiveness of any flue, the supply of combustion air, the appliance's operating pressure or heat input, and its operation to make sure it works safely. Gas Safe Register adds that the engineer checks each appliance is stable, securely fitted and suitable for the room it is in.
Gas safety check or boiler service?
A gas safety check confirms appliances are safe to use at the time of the check. A service goes further, with a manufacturer's checklist, a look inside the boiler and cleaning of parts, as described in our guide to the annual boiler service. Landlords need the check by law; HSE guidance also expects appliances to be maintained, and yearly servicing is the usual way to do that.
Landlord gas safety certificate: the legal duties
If you let a property, the law requires you to keep the gas supply and every gas appliance you provide safe. The duties, from HSE guidance on the 1998 Regulations, are:
| Duty | What the law or HSE guidance says |
|---|---|
| How often | Within 12 months of an appliance being installed, then at intervals of no more than 12 months |
| Checking early | Since 2018, the check can be done up to 2 months before the due date and keep the original deadline |
| Who does it | A Gas Safe registered engineer only |
| Keeping records | At least 2 years |
| Existing tenants | A copy within 28 days of the check |
| New tenants | A copy before they move in |
| Short lets of 28 days or less | The record can be displayed prominently in the property instead |
| Tenant's own appliances | Not the landlord's appliance to check, but the landlord is still responsible for the pipework and any flue connected to it, unless the flue serves only the tenant's appliance |
| Maintenance | Pipework, appliances and flues must be maintained by a Gas Safe registered engineer; annual maintenance is described as good practice |
The rules cover holiday lets and rooms let under a licence as well as ordinary tenancies. Breaking them can lead to a substantial fine or a prison sentence. The 1998 Regulations apply in England, Scotland and Wales, and Northern Ireland has its own, similar regulations. In England, landlords must also fit a carbon monoxide alarm in any room used as living accommodation that has a fixed combustion appliance, other than a gas cooker.
How long does a gas safety certificate last?
A gas safety certificate lasts 12 months. For landlords, the next check must be carried out no more than 12 months after the last one. Booking it in the final 2 months before the due date keeps the same anniversary, so the date does not creep earlier every year. Diary the date and allow time for the engineer to come back if anything fails.
Do homeowners need a gas safety certificate?
No, homeowners do not need a gas safety certificate by law. The landlord duties do not apply to a home you own and live in. Gas Safe Register still recommends a yearly safety check and service for every gas appliance, unless the manufacturer says otherwise, and most boiler guarantees require an annual service.
There is also no legal requirement for a gas safety certificate when you sell a house. Some buyers ask for recent service or safety paperwork, and a recent record can answer questions during the sale. If you are buying, a check by a Gas Safe registered engineer before or soon after you move in tells you what condition the boiler and other appliances are in.
How to get a gas safety certificate
- Find a Gas Safe registered engineer. Search the Gas Safe Register website or call 0800 408 5500.
- Check their ID card. The back lists the types of appliance they can work on. For an LPG property, make sure LPG is listed. Our LPG boiler guide explains why.
- List every gas appliance. Tell them about the boiler, hob, oven, fires and any water heater when you book, so the quote is accurate.
- Arrange access. The engineer needs to reach each appliance, the meter and any flue terminals. Give tenants notice.
- Get the record on the day. Check the details are complete and correct before the engineer leaves.
- Fix any defects. Book remedial work straight away and keep proof it was done.
- Give copies and keep records. Issue tenants a copy within 28 days and keep your own for at least 2 years.
What happens if an appliance fails the check
If an engineer finds a dangerous appliance, they follow the Gas Industry Unsafe Situations Procedure. An appliance classed as Immediately Dangerous will be disconnected with permission, and one classed At Risk will usually be turned off. Either way, you get a warning notice, and the appliance must not be used until a Gas Safe registered engineer has repaired it. Repair prices vary by fault, and our boiler repair cost guide covers the common ones.
If anyone smells gas, open doors and windows, turn the gas off at the meter if it is safe to do so, do not use electrical switches and call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999. Our guide to what to do if you smell gas near a boiler has the full steps.
What to do next
Landlords should find the date on the last record and book the next check in the 2 months before it runs out. Homeowners who have not had a check for over a year can book a combined safety check and service and keep the paperwork with the boiler manual. Tenants who have not received a copy of the current record should ask the landlord or letting agent for it in writing.