How long does a landlord gas safety certificate last?
A landlord gas safety certificate is valid for 12 months from the date the safety check is completed. You must arrange the next check within 12 months of the previous one, although it can be carried out up to two months early without changing the original expiry date.
The expiry date printed on the certificate controls when the next inspection is due. It isn’t extended because the property is empty, the tenant changes, or the boiler has had a recent service.
To avoid a gap in cover, arrange the next landlord gas safety check during the two months before the current certificate expires. When the check is completed in that period, the new certificate keeps the existing expiry date, so the annual cycle does not gradually move earlier.
If you arrange the check more than two months before expiry, the new certificate will normally start a new 12-month period from the inspection date. That can bring the next due date forward, so checking the timing before booking matters.
A boiler service is separate from a landlord gas safety check. Servicing looks at the boiler’s condition and maintenance needs, while the landlord check records whether the gas appliances and flues covered by the tenancy are safe to use. A recent service does not replace the legally required gas safety record.
When a new tenant is moving in, the property must have a valid gas safety record before occupation. For an existing tenancy, give the tenant a copy of the current record within the required period and keep the paperwork available for future reference. Keep the records securely so you can show when each inspection took place and what the engineer found.
A certificate does not remain valid simply because its printed date has not passed if the gas system is altered or a safety concern arises. Stop using an appliance if it appears unsafe and arrange an assessment. If remedial work is needed, the engineer must complete the required repairs and confirm the outcome before the appliance is treated as safe.
Properties with more than one gas appliance need the relevant appliances and flues included in the inspection. This can include a boiler, gas fire, cooker or water heater supplied as part of the tenancy. Tenants should not arrange repairs to landlord-owned gas appliances themselves; they should report problems to the landlord or managing agent.
We carry out landlord gas safety checks through Gas Safe registered engineers and provide the completed record for the tenancy paperwork. If the property is also heated by oil, that equipment needs its own appropriate inspection and documentation rather than being covered by the gas certificate.
Before the current record reaches its expiry date, check:
- the expiry date printed on the certificate;
- which appliances and flues the record covers;
- that any safety recommendations or remedial work have been dealt with;
- that the tenant or managing agent has the required copy; and
- that the next inspection has been booked within the permitted period.
If you cannot find the current record, the expiry date is unclear, or the property is changing tenant, we can inspect the gas installation and issue the necessary paperwork where it meets the safety requirements.
The 12-month period applies to each rented property, not to a landlord’s whole portfolio. If you manage several homes, each one has its own gas safety record, inspection date and expiry date.
Keep a separate renewal reminder for every property. That prevents one certificate being treated as covering another home, even when the same landlord or managing agent looks after both.