How can landlords replace a lost CP12 gas safety certificate?

A lost CP12 can be replaced with a duplicate from the Gas Safe engineer who completed the inspection. If nobody can provide a reliable copy, arrange a new gas safety inspection. A new record confirms the appliances and flue on the inspection date; it cannot recreate evidence of an earlier check.

Start by gathering the details that will help identify the original record:

• the rented property address;
• the approximate inspection date;
• the name of the engineer or company;
• the letting agent or property manager involved; and
• any email, invoice or maintenance record linked to the visit.

The engineer or letting agent may have stored the record electronically. Ask for a duplicate rather than an informal note confirming that an inspection took place. The replacement should show the property, inspection date, appliances checked, results, defects identified, remedial action and the engineer’s details.

If the original engineer cannot be traced, or the available paperwork is incomplete, a Gas Safe engineer needs to inspect the installation again. We record the appliance details, check the flues and assess the gas safety of the installation. The record then reflects the condition found during that visit.

That distinction matters if a tenant, letting agent or enforcement body asks for proof. A replacement copy supports the original inspection. A newly issued record shows that a current inspection has taken place, but it does not confirm that the property passed on an earlier date.

Our gas safety engineers are Gas Safe registered, which is the legal requirement for work on gas appliances and flues. If the property has several appliances, we include each relevant appliance on the record rather than treating a boiler check as a check of the whole installation.

Once you have the duplicate or new record, send it to the tenant and keep it with the property’s safety paperwork. An existing tenant should receive the record within 28 days of the inspection. A new tenant should receive it before moving into the property. Your letting agent may handle this for you, but the landlord remains responsible for making sure the record is available.

If the gas safety date is also approaching, it usually makes sense to discuss the timing with the engineer rather than arranging separate visits. The important point is to avoid presenting an old, incomplete or undated document as proof of a current inspection.

When we issue a new landlord gas safety record, you receive paperwork showing what we inspected and the safety position found on the day. If we identify a defect, we explain what needs attention before the appliance is used or the record is treated as satisfactory.