If you let residential property, tenants report everyday faults — dripping taps, running toilets, no heat, no hot water — and you also have duties around gas appliances and flues you provide. Etchells provides plumbing, heating and gas services for landlords across South Birmingham, Bromsgrove, Hagley, Kidderminster and the corridor towards Bewdley.
Gas Safe registered 227442. Domestic rentals only — houses and flats, not commercial plant. This page is general guidance for England, not formal legal advice. Confirm duties for your tenancy with official sources or independent advice where needed.
Landlord gas safety
Legal / regulatory
Under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, landlords must ensure relevant gas appliances and flues they provide are maintained in a safe condition and checked for safety at intervals of not more than 12 months by a Gas Safe registered engineer. A written Landlord Gas Safety Record must be made and retained. Existing tenants must receive a copy within 28 days of the check; new tenants before they move in.
Dedicated page: Landlord gas safety certificates (CP12). Official guidance: HSE — landlords’ gas safety.
Annual gas safety check vs boiler service
| Gas safety check (CP12) | Boiler service | |
|---|---|---|
| Primary purpose | Statutory safety check and written record for relevant appliances/flues | Preventative maintenance of the boiler |
| Classification | Legal / regulatory | Maintenance / good practice |
| Outcome | Landlord Gas Safety Record for tenants / agents / (where licensed) councils | Service of the appliance; advice on repairs or replacement if needed |
| Same visit? | Often arranged together if you ask — they are still different jobs | |
HSE is clear: do not assume a service meets the safety-check requirement, or that a safety check alone is sufficient maintenance. See boiler servicing and our gas safety check vs boiler service note.
Carbon monoxide alarms in rented homes
Legal / regulatory
From 1 October 2022, GOV.UK guidance explains that relevant landlords in England must ensure a carbon monoxide alarm is equipped in any room used as living accommodation which contains a fixed combustion appliance, excluding gas cookers. It is not accurate to say every room with any gas appliance needs a detector.
Licensed HMOs follow similar requirements through HMO licensing conditions rather than Parts 1–5 of those regulations — see HMO services. Official guidance: GOV.UK smoke & CO landlord Q&A.
Heating and hot water in rentals
Legal / regulatory Maintenance / good practice
For many short residential tenancies in England, section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 implies a covenant to keep installations for space heating and heating water in repair and proper working order. The Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 also requires rented homes to remain fit for habitation and free from serious hazards (GOV.UK guidance refers to hazards such as excess cold and problems with hot and cold water). Exact duties depend on the tenancy — confirm against official guidance.
In practice Etchells handles tenant-reported failures: no heating, no hot water, boiler lockouts, pressure loss, radiator faults and control problems. Boiler repairs · Central heating.
If a Gas Safe engineer disconnects a heating appliance because it is unsafe, HSE states the landlord must provide emergency heating while arranging remedial work. Do not reconnect an isolated appliance yourself.
Boiler maintenance, repairs and replacement
Maintenance / good practice
- Boiler servicing — preventative maintenance; often booked with the gas safety visit
- Boiler repairs — when tenants report breakdowns
- Boiler replacement — when repair no longer makes sense for the property’s heating and hot-water demand
Do not replace a boiler purely because it reaches an arbitrary age. Reliability, parts availability, repair cost and demand matter more.
Plumbing repairs in rented properties
Maintenance / good practice
Most landlord call-outs are ordinary domestic plumbing: leaking taps, running toilets and cisterns, pipe leaks, kitchen sinks and wastes, bathroom showers and basins, isolation valves and appliance connections.
- General plumbing repairs
- Kitchen plumbing
- Bathroom plumbing
- 24 hour emergency plumbing for serious water escape or urgent heating loss
Tenant-reported problems
Typical messages from tenants: boiler not working, no heating, no hot water, toilet leaking, tap dripping, pipe leaking, radiator cold, shower not working, kitchen sink blocked or leaking. Agree access before the visit and tell us what appliances or fittings are involved. For a suspected gas leak, leave the property and call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999 first.
Between-tenancy and void maintenance
Legal / regulatory Maintenance / good practice
Before a new tenancy starts, relevant gas safety checks must be in date for the lease start (HSE guidance). New tenants need the latest gas safety record before move-in. The empty period is also a practical time to clear plumbing and heating faults while access is easier.
Full checklist: plumbing, heating and gas checks between tenancies.
Gas appliances in rentals
Landlord-provided gas cookers and similar appliances sit within gas safety duties when you supply them. Tenant-owned appliances are treated differently under HSE guidance — you may still have duties for associated pipework or flues. Gas cooker installation where within registration.
Related landlord and portfolio pages
Property services · Portfolio landlords · HMO landlords · Letting agents · Property managers
Rental areas we regularly cover
Landlord plumbing, heating and gas work follows our South Birmingham to Worcestershire corridor.
Related property & gas services
Property professionals
Landlords FAQs
Does my rental property need an annual boiler service?
The annual landlord gas safety check is a legal requirement for relevant gas appliances and flues. A separate manufacturer-style boiler service is not the same thing. HSE advises servicing in line with manufacturer instructions, and recommends annual servicing where instructions are unavailable unless a Gas Safe engineer advises otherwise. Many landlords book both on the same visit.
Is a boiler service the same as a gas safety check?
No. The gas safety check produces the Landlord Gas Safety Record (often called a CP12). A boiler service is preventative maintenance of the appliance. HSE states you should not assume one meets the requirement of the other. See our CP12 and boiler servicing pages.
Do landlords need carbon monoxide alarms?
In England, relevant private rented homes must have a carbon monoxide alarm in any room used as living accommodation that contains a fixed combustion appliance, excluding gas cookers. Check current GOV.UK guidance and any HMO licence conditions.
What happens if a boiler is declared unsafe?
Do not use or reconnect an appliance that has been isolated for safety reasons. HSE states that where a heating appliance has been disconnected because it is unsafe, the landlord must provide emergency heating while arranging remedial work by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
Should plumbing be checked between tenants?
Gas safety timing before a new tenancy is a legal/regulatory matter. Checking taps, toilets, showers, kitchen plumbing and heating while the property is empty is recommended maintenance — it is usually easier than chasing faults after move-in. See our between-tenancy checklist.
Can one engineer complete a boiler service and gas safety check?
Often yes, if you ask for both when booking and access is arranged. They remain different pieces of work and produce different outcomes — a Landlord Gas Safety Record versus a service of the appliance.
I have several rentals — is there a better page?
See portfolio landlord services for multi-address scheduling, property managers if a management company runs the stock, or HMO services for houses in multiple occupation.
Do you cover rental properties in South Birmingham and Worcestershire?
Yes. Landlord work follows our corridor from South Birmingham through Bromsgrove and Hagley towards Kidderminster. Confirm the property postcode when you enquire.
Discuss your residential portfolio
Tell us roughly how many properties you look after and what you need help with. We will come back to discuss coverage, access and how ongoing work can be arranged.