Pre-Tenancy Gas Safety
Gas Safety Before a New Tenancy: A Landlord Checklist
Before new tenants move into a London rental, landlords must ensure their gas appliances and flues are safe and provide a current gas safety record; changing tenants does not automatically require a fresh annual check. This checklist covers first letting, tenant change and re-letting after a void. Check the record, account for changes and complete the handover. For the legal background, read Landlord Gas Safety Regulations Explained (Gas Safety Regulations 1998, Reg 36).
Have your postcode, the gas appliances you provide and your current certificate's expiry date ready.
- Gas Safe registered: 648977
- Every landlord gas appliance checked
- Same-day appointments available
Start With the Gas Safety Duties That Apply Before Move-In
Regulation 36 of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 requires annual checks, safe maintenance and a record supplied to incoming tenants before occupation.
Immediate safety action: Smell gas: leave and call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999 from a safe place. For suspected carbon monoxide symptoms, get into fresh air and contact NHS 111, or call 999 if serious.
Establish the next deadline from your records using the guide to gas safety renewal deadlines and early checks. Regulation 36A permits qualifying checks in the two months before the deadline to preserve that deadline. This is not a grace period.
We provide landlord gas safety checks in London. We also offer gas safety checks for letting agents and portfolio landlords.
Inspect
Have landlord-provided gas appliances and flues checked by a Gas Safe registered engineer on the annual cycle.
Maintain
Keep the relevant appliances, flues and installation pipework safe between checks.
Provide the record
Give new tenants their copy before move-in; existing tenants must receive theirs within 28 days of the check.
Your Pre-Tenancy Gas Safety Checklist
Your letting scenario determines the evidence to gather, while safe appliances and a completed handover remain the objective. For a first let, establish inspection history; for a tenant change, identify subsequent changes; after a void, consider interference or vandalism.
Scenario and date, administration
Confirm the letting scenario and occupation date. Evidence: dated tenancy plan. Person: ____ Date: ____.
Record and deadline, duty
Locate the current record and establish when the next check is due. Evidence: inspection history and deadline. Person: ____ Date: ____.
Appliance ownership, supporting the duty
Reconcile every appliance with the inventory and record. Evidence: appliance, location and owner list. Person: ____ Date: ____.
Changes and interference, HSE recommendation
Review removals, damage and suspected tampering; seek appropriate checks. Evidence: change notes and engineer findings. Person: ____ Date: ____.
Necessary checks and follow-up, duty
Complete required checks and arrange action on unsafe findings. Evidence: inspection record and remedial documentation. Person: ____ Date: ____.
Tenant copy, duty
Supply the current record before occupation. Suggested evidence: dated delivery log. Person: ____ Date: ____.
Alarm testing, duty
Test required alarms on the tenancy’s first day. Suggested evidence: locations, results and action taken. Person: ____ Date: ____.
Completion and next check, administration
Confirm outstanding actions and assign responsibility for the next deadline. Evidence: completed checklist and diary entry. Person: ____ Date: ____.
The labels distinguish duties, HSE recommendations and suggested administration. This checklist is not a professional safety assessment.
Confirm Which Appliances the Landlord Provides
Establish ownership of every gas appliance before deciding what the landlord’s check must cover. Match the inventory to the record, including boilers, hobs, cookers, range cookers, gas fires and water heaters.
Landlord-provided
Include each applicable appliance and flue in maintenance and checking arrangements.
Tenant-owned
The tenant is responsible for their own appliance; the landlord’s separate installation pipework duties remain.
Left behind
If you retain an appliance for incoming tenants, bring it into your maintenance and checking arrangements. Arrange appropriate professional removal if unwanted.
Record each appliance’s location and owner. A flat on a heat network must not automatically be treated as having its own gas boiler.
Review What Changed During the Tenancy or Void
A current record describes the inspection when it happened; it cannot establish an appliance’s condition after later interference.
- Ask whether appliances were removed, replaced or altered.
- Review reported damage and unexplained changes.
- Consider possible tampering or vandalism while the property was empty.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) recommends a further check where tampering or vandalism is suspected, and inspection and soundness testing of installation pipework before re-letting. Arrange this with a Gas Safe registered engineer.
Treat a sounding carbon monoxide alarm as real: leave for fresh air and seek emergency advice. Follow the immediate safety guidance above if gas is suspected or anyone has symptoms.
Prepare the Property and Information for the Engineer
Provide the appliance list, previous record and known changes when arranging a necessary visit.
- Supply the address, postcode and planned move-in date.
- Identify the keyholder and agreed access arrangements.
- List appliance locations and ownership.
- Share previous findings and follow-up evidence.
- Make appliances, the meter and existing inspection hatches accessible; leave covers and fittings alone.
- Verify the attending engineer’s Gas Safe ID and relevant work categories.
If an occupier remains, agree access with them and keep the correspondence. Allow time to address findings before handover.
Give the Incoming Tenant the Record and Keep the Evidence
Incoming tenants must receive their gas safety record before moving in.
Check the document
Confirm the address, appliance coverage and findings. If missing, request a copy from the issuing business before assuming another inspection is needed.
Deliver the copy
Electronic delivery is suitable where the tenant agrees and can access it. Supply paper if requested.
Log delivery
As an administrative safeguard, record the document, recipient, date and delivery method.
Retain the records
Keep each record until two further checks of the appliance or flue have occurred. For a removed appliance, retain its record for two years from the last check. Keep follow-up evidence alongside it.
A record documenting an unsafe finding does not resolve that finding. Arrange necessary remedial work with a Gas Safe registered engineer.
Test the Required Alarms at the Start of the Tenancy
Required smoke and carbon monoxide alarms must work at the start of a new tenancy. Under the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015, as amended in 2022, applicable rented homes need:
- Smoke alarms: At least one on each storey containing living accommodation.
- Carbon monoxide alarms: One in each room used as living accommodation containing a fixed combustion appliance, excluding gas cookers.
The cooker exclusion concerns this alarm rule, not gas safety checks. Test alarms on the tenancy’s first day using manufacturer instructions; record locations, results and the date. Repair or replace reported faulty alarms. A CP12 does not certify alarms.
Agree Who Completes the Landlord and Agent Handover
Record who arranges the check, reviews findings, supplies the tenant’s copy and tracks the next deadline. Use the management agreement to clarify maintenance, checking and record-keeping responsibilities; appointing an agent does not automatically remove the landlord’s duties.
Arrange required checks
Person: ____ Completed: ____.
Review findings and follow-up
Person: ____ Completed: ____.
Provide the tenant’s record
Person: ____ Completed: ____.
Track the next deadline
Person: ____ Completed: ____.
Obtain the actual records; an appointment confirmation does not show completion. Name one person to close outstanding checklist items. For licensed homes, check the property’s actual licence conditions.
Landlord gas safety certificates
Arrange a Gas Safety Check Before Your Tenants Move In
If you need a check, contact All Service 4 U with your postcode, appliance list, existing record and planned move-in date.
Our Gas Safe registered engineers carry out landlord gas safety checks; our business registration is 648977. Our phone line is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Same-day gas safety check appointments are available, subject to availability.
Arrange a pre-tenancy gas safety check: 020 3740 6785
020 3740 6785
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a Boiler Service the Same as a Gas Safety Certificate (CP12)?
No: a boiler service and a landlord gas safety check are different activities. Servicing maintains the boiler according to its manufacturer’s schedule. The statutory safety check produces a record of findings for the applicable landlord appliances and flues. A boiler service alone does not document checks of other landlord-provided gas appliances.
Can I Get the Landlord CP12 and Boiler Service Done in One Visit?
Yes, we can arrange both in one visit, while keeping them as separate jobs. Identify the boiler and every other landlord-provided gas appliance when enquiring. The service concerns the boiler; the landlord safety check must cover the applicable appliance and flue inventory. A combined visit is optional.
How Often Do I Need a CP12 as a Landlord, and Can I Book It Early?
Checks follow an annual cycle, and qualifying early checks can preserve the existing deadline. Regulation 36A allows this within the two-month period ending with that deadline, subject to its conditions. Tenant turnover does not itself reset the cycle. Check the inspection history when setting the next date; there is no general post-deadline grace period.
What Happens if a Landlord Lets the Gas Safety Certificate Lapse?
Missing the applicable annual-check deadline is a breach, with no general grace period. Arrange the overdue check promptly, address safety findings and provide the required record. Booking an appointment does not complete the duty or erase the missed deadline. Enforcement is possible, and a new tenancy does not cure the lapse.
My Boiler Has Been Condemned or Labelled Unsafe: What Does That Mean?
Do not use an appliance identified as unsafe; follow the engineer’s warning notice. “Condemned” is informal wording. Under the Gas Industry Unsafe Situations Procedure, Immediately Dangerous normally requires disconnection; At Risk normally requires turning off, with the responsible person’s permission and appropriate labelling. A record is still issued. Arrange remedial work with a Gas Safe registered engineer and retain follow-up evidence before returning the appliance to use.
Still have a question or need urgent assistance? Call 020 3740 6785, tell us what has happened and we will tell you what happens next.