Landlord Gas Safety Certificates (CP12)
Etchells Plumbing Services provides Landlord Gas Safety Certificates (CP12) — formally a Landlord Gas Safety Record — for rented domestic properties across South Birmingham, Bromsgrove, Hagley, Kidderminster and the corridor towards Bewdley.
Checks are carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer. Registration 227442 — see how to verify. This page summarises publicly available England guidance from HSE; it is not formal legal advice.
Who requires gas safety checks?
Legal / regulatory
Landlords who provide gas appliances or flues for tenants have duties under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. That typically includes private landlords, and agents or managers arranging checks on a landlord’s behalf. Owner-occupiers living in their own home usually need servicing or repair rather than a Landlord Gas Safety Record.
- Landlords
- Letting agents
- Property managers
- HMO landlords — licensed HMOs also have council certificate conditions
How frequently?
Legal / regulatory
Each relevant appliance and flue must be checked for safety within 12 months of being installed and at intervals of not more than 12 months since it was last checked. Before any new lease starts, HSE requires those checks to have been done within one year before the lease date (unless appliances were installed more recently and fall under the installation timing rules).
Who can perform them?
Legal / regulatory
Gas safety checks and related gas work under these landlord duties must be carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer. Verify registration on the Gas Safe Register.
What appliances and flues are covered?
Legal / regulatory
HSE explains that any gas appliance you own and provide for the tenant’s use is included, along with relevant flues. If a tenant has their own gas appliance that you have not provided, you are generally responsible for parts of the associated installation and pipework, but not for that appliance — though HSE recommends including all connected flues in the check where practicable. Communal appliances serving multiple dwellings also need maintenance and annual checks under landlord duties where you are responsible for them.
What records are produced?
Legal / regulatory
The Landlord Gas Safety Record (often called a CP12) must include, as a minimum, the details set out in HSE guidance: description and location of each appliance or flue checked; engineer name, registration number and signature; date; property address; landlord or agent details; any safety-related defects and remedial action; and confirmation that the prescribed examination matters were covered.
When must tenants receive records?
Legal / regulatory
- Existing tenants — within 28 days of the check being completed
- New tenants — before they move in
Electronic copies are acceptable if the tenant can access them; provide a paper copy if they ask. HSE also explains limited options to display a record in some shared or short-stay situations.
How long should records be retained?
Legal / regulatory
Keep records until two further checks of the appliance or flue have been carried out, or for two years from the date of the last check if the appliance is removed. If you use the early-check flexibility introduced in 2018, HSE advises retaining records that demonstrate compliance with the required timescales.
Tenant access problems
Legal / regulatory Etchells recommendation
Your tenancy agreement should allow access for safety check and maintenance work. You must not use force to enter. HSE recommends keeping a written trail of reasonable attempts (notices, letters explaining the legal requirement, offers to rearrange). Agree a visit window with the tenant or keyholder before the day and pass those details to us when booking.
Unsafe appliances
Legal / regulatory
If faults are found, the record should note them. Landlords must take remedial action and ensure an unsafe appliance is not used. Do not reconnect an appliance that has been isolated or disconnected for safety reasons until a Gas Safe engineer has rectified the fault. Where a heating appliance has been disconnected, HSE states you must provide emergency heating while arranging appropriate remedial work.
Checks before the existing certificate expires
Legal / regulatory
Landlords can arrange the annual check earlier than the exact anniversary. The 2018 amendments allow a check in a defined window before the due date while retaining the original deadline date in the circumstances HSE describes. This helps portfolio scheduling — ask when you book if you want to use that flexibility.
Gas safety check vs boiler service
| Gas safety check | Boiler service | |
|---|---|---|
| Requirement type | Legal / regulatory | Maintenance / good practice |
| Document | Landlord Gas Safety Record (CP12) | Service of the appliance (not a substitute CP12) |
| HSE warning | Do not assume a service meets the safety check, or that a safety check alone is sufficient maintenance | |
Boiler servicing · Advice note
Between tenancies
Legal / regulatory Maintenance / good practice
Before reletting, ensure relevant gas safety checks are in date for the new lease and that the new tenant receives the latest record before move-in. Left-behind gas appliances should be removed or checked by a Gas Safe engineer. Void periods are also a practical time for plumbing and heating snagging — see between-tenancy maintenance.
Carbon monoxide alarms
Legal / regulatory
Separate from the CP12 visit, relevant landlords in England must equip CO alarms in living accommodation rooms with a fixed combustion appliance (excluding gas cookers). See landlord services and HMO services for more detail.
Arranging a check
Send the property address and postcode, access arrangements, and which gas appliances are present. For several rentals in our corridor, list them together. Call 07775 775908 or send the property details.
Related services
- Landlord plumbing, heating & gas
- HMO plumbing, heating & gas
- Letting agent services
- Property management services
- Boiler servicing
- Boiler repairs
- Boiler installation and replacement
- Why Gas Safe registration matters
CP12 cover across priority areas
Landlord gas safety checks are available across our South Birmingham and Worcestershire corridor.
Common questions
How often does a landlord gas safety check need doing?
HSE guidance requires a gas safety check every year on each relevant gas appliance and flue — at intervals of not more than 12 months. Before a new tenancy starts, checks must have been done within the 12 months before the lease begins (with limited exceptions for recently installed appliances). We carry out the inspection and issue the record; this page is not formal legal advice.
Who can perform a landlord gas safety check?
A Gas Safe registered engineer. Etchells Plumbing Services is registered under number 227442 — you can verify that on the Gas Safe Register.
When must tenants receive the gas safety record?
HSE requires a copy for existing tenants within 28 days of the check being completed, and for new tenants before they move in. Electronic copies are acceptable if the tenant can access them; a paper copy must be provided if requested.
How long should I keep gas safety records?
HSE / regulation 36 guidance: keep the record until two further checks of the appliance or flue have been carried out (or for two years from the last check if the appliance is removed). Longer retention may be needed if you use the early-check flexibility rules.
What if my tenant will not provide access?
HSE expects landlords to take all reasonable steps and keep a written record of attempts — for example leaving a notice, writing to explain that the check is a legal requirement, and offering to rearrange. Do not force entry. Whether steps were reasonable can ultimately be a matter for the courts.
What happens when an appliance is unsafe?
Remedial action must be taken and an unsafe appliance must not be used. Do not reconnect equipment isolated for safety reasons until a Gas Safe engineer has rectified the fault. If a heating appliance is disconnected, HSE states the landlord must provide emergency heating while arranging repairs.
Can the check be completed before the existing certificate expires?
Yes. The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) (Amendment) Regulations 2018 allow flexibility so a check can be carried out in a window before the anniversary while retaining the original deadline date in defined circumstances. HSE’s INDG285 and related guidance explain this. Ask when booking if you want to schedule early.
Is a gas safety check the same as a boiler service?
No. The safety check produces the Landlord Gas Safety Record. A boiler service is preventative maintenance. HSE says you should not assume one replaces the other. Landlords often book both on the same visit.
Do owner-occupiers need a CP12 for their own home?
Usually no. A Landlord Gas Safety Record is aimed at rented properties. Homeowners typically need repair, servicing or replacement rather than a CP12.
I manage several rentals — can checks be booked together?
Yes. Private landlords, letting agents and property managers often send a list of addresses in our coverage corridor. We confirm each postcode and plan access with you or the tenants.
How much is a landlord gas safety certificate?
A landlord gas safety certificate (CP12) starts from £70 for up to 2 appliances. Additional appliances are quoted when you book. Work beyond the stated starting scope is quoted when you book.
Speak to a Gas Safe registered engineer
Call Etchells Plumbing Services for residential or commercial plumbing and heating, including 24 hour emergency cover, across South Birmingham, Bromsgrove, Hagley, Kidderminster and the corridor towards Bewdley.