Can a boiler service cover my landlord’s gas safety requirements?
Not by itself. A boiler service may include the required checks, but landlord compliance requires a Gas Safe engineer to inspect every gas appliance and relevant flue, then issue a CP12 gas safety record.
A boiler service can be carried out during the same visit as a landlord gas safety check, but it does not replace that check. We must complete the statutory inspection and issue a Gas Safety Record, commonly called a CP12, for the property.
The difference is the purpose. A boiler service examines and maintains the boiler. We inspect its condition, clean relevant components where needed, check combustion and look for signs that it needs repair. The service helps keep the boiler operating safely and reliably, but its paperwork is not the document that demonstrates compliance with the landlord’s gas safety duties.
A landlord gas safety check covers the gas appliances and flues that fall within the landlord’s responsibility. We check that each appliance is safe to use, that the flue is operating correctly and that the installation meets the required safety standards. The result is recorded on the CP12.
If you book both services together, make this clear when arranging the appointment. We need to inspect every relevant gas appliance and flue, not only the boiler. If the property has a gas fire, cooker or another landlord-owned appliance, that may need to be included in the gas safety check. A boiler service alone cannot provide a complete record for the property.
The gas safety check must be completed every 12 months. A new check is also needed before a new tenancy starts if the previous record will not cover the required period. The landlord must give the current Gas Safety Record to existing tenants within 28 days of the check and to new tenants before they move in. The landlord must keep the records for the required period and make them available when needed.
Tenants should receive the CP12, rather than only an invoice or boiler service checklist. An invoice may show that maintenance took place, but it does not contain the findings required on a Gas Safety Record.
A service also does not make an unsafe appliance legal to use. If we find a fault during either visit, we explain what we have found and what needs to happen next. Where an appliance or flue presents a safety risk, we follow the applicable gas safety procedure. That may mean isolating the appliance until the fault has been repaired and the installation can be checked again.
Our Gas Safe registration means the engineer working on the gas installation is legally qualified to carry out gas work and landlord gas safety checks. We provide the relevant paperwork after the inspection, so you have a clear record for the property and the tenant.
For a landlord, the simplest arrangement is often to request an annual landlord gas safety check and ask whether a boiler service should be completed at the same appointment. We can then confirm which appliances are included, identify any repairs separately and provide the CP12 required for the tenancy records.
If the boiler service falls in a different month from the gas safety check, keep both dates in your property records. Servicing earlier or later does not change when the next statutory check is due.
Before booking, check the previous record and confirm which gas appliances and flues remain at the property. This helps us inspect the correct equipment and prevents a service appointment being mistaken for a complete landlord compliance visit.
