Unsafe Gas Findings
What If a Gas Safety Check Fails? Unsafe Appliances Explained
If a landlord gas safety check in London identifies an unsafe appliance, landlords and tenants must follow the engineer’s warning and stop using it; the Landlord Gas Safety Record should still show the findings.
“Failed CP12” is common shorthand, but the record does not grant a property-wide pass. This guide explains unsafe findings and follow-up under England’s rules, including regulation 36 of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. For the document basics, read What Is a Landlord Gas Safety Certificate (CP12)? What It Covers and Looks Like.
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
Smell Gas or Hear a Carbon Monoxide Alarm? Act First
If you smell gas, leave the property and call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999 from a safe place.
If you smell gas:
- Avoid flames and do not operate electrical switches.
- Open doors or windows and turn off gas at the meter only if safe, without delaying your escape.
- Stay outside until advised that it is safe to return.
If a carbon monoxide alarm sounds or you suspect exposure:
- Treat it seriously and get everyone outside into fresh air.
- For suspected carbon monoxide symptoms, call NHS 111; call 999 for serious symptoms, including difficulty breathing, sudden confusion or loss of consciousness.
- Report a suspected gas-appliance incident to 0800 111 999.
- Do not re-enter until advised safe.
Immediately Dangerous and At Risk: What the Findings Mean
Unsafe gas situations are classified as Immediately Dangerous or At Risk, and the engineer’s warning explains the action needed.
The Gas Industry Unsafe Situations Procedure, set out in IGEM/G/11, guides this assessment. The attending engineer determines the classification.
- Immediately Dangerous (ID): operating the appliance or leaving the installation connected presents an immediate danger to life or property. The engineer seeks the responsible person’s permission to disconnect the affected equipment, attaches a warning label and issues a warning notice. Keep it unused until the safety defect has been rectified.
- At Risk (AR): recognised faults mean the appliance or installation could become dangerous. Normally, the engineer seeks permission to turn it off, attaches a warning label and documents the problem. Follow the instruction not to use affected equipment until the fault has been rectified.
Limited AR exceptions: sometimes turning off an installation does not reduce the risk. The engineer explains this and issues a warning notice identifying the responsible person or organisation to contact for investigation. Follow that specific instruction; do not decide for yourself that disconnection is unnecessary.
Advice about standards: “Not to Current Standards” is no longer an unsafe classification. Advice that an installation does not meet current standards does not automatically mean it is unsafe.
For the wider responsibilities behind these actions, see landlord duties.
The Landlord’s Duty Continues After an Unsafe Finding
A completed gas safety record does not remove the landlord’s duty to keep the gas equipment they provide safe.
Make safe
follow the engineer’s warning and keep affected equipment out of use.
Arrange appropriate action
appoint a Gas Safe registered engineer qualified for the necessary remedial work.
Keep occupants informed
explain which equipment must remain unused and who is arranging the next step.
Regulation 36 requires maintenance alongside annual safety checks by a Gas Safe registered engineer. The check covers every landlord-provided gas appliance and flue, including boilers, cookers, hobs, range cookers, gas fires and water heaters. A boiler-only check leaves other landlord appliances unchecked. Tenant-owned appliances are distinct from this landlord-provided scope; identify ownership when arranging the visit.
For the annual inspection service, see landlord gas safety checks in London.
You Still Receive the Record, Even When Defects Are Found
The gas safety record should be issued when the checks are completed, even if defects still need attention.
Landlord Gas Safety Record, often called a CP12
records the inspection findings, including safety defects and action taken during the check.
Warning notice
identifies the unsafe situation and the instructions that the responsible person and occupants must follow.
Evidence of subsequent work
documents what was done about the defect and any further checks. It supplements the original findings rather than erasing them.
HSE guidance says the record should not be delayed until remedial work is finished. Keep these documents together:
Check that you understand the affected item, the defect, action already taken and action outstanding. Give existing tenants their copy within 28 days of the check and new tenants their copy before they move in. The copy deadline is not a repair allowance.
Keep records until two further checks of the appliance or flue have taken place. For removed equipment, retain the record for two years from its last check.
Read the Recorded Defect Before Deciding What Work Is Needed
The recorded defect and the engineer’s explanation determine the next step; the word “failed” alone does not.
Which item is affected?
Confirm its location and description.
What was found?
Ask for an explanation of the recorded defect.
What has been made safe?
Establish what was disconnected or turned off.
What must happen before use resumes?
Obtain clear instructions about the outstanding action.
Findings can concern the appliance, flue, ventilation or installation. Examples include combustion products escaping, inadequate ventilation or a safety device not operating correctly. These examples are not a way to classify your own equipment: the engineer must assess the actual circumstances.
Ask four questions before arranging work:
A warning identifies a safety problem. It does not automatically mean you need a new boiler.
Arrange Appropriate Work Before the Appliance Is Used Again
An appliance identified as unsafe must remain out of use until its safety defect has been rectified by a suitably qualified Gas Safe registered engineer.
Keep the paperwork
retain the original gas safety record and warning notice so the finding and instructions remain available.
Tell everyone affected
notify the landlord or managing agent and occupants who might use the equipment.
Appoint a qualified engineer
the landlord must arrange the remedial work with a Gas Safe registered engineer whose registration categories cover the relevant work.
Arrange access and share findings
provide the existing record and warning notice before the visit, and identify equipment already disconnected or turned off.
Obtain follow-up evidence
keep documentation of the completed work and ask what further checks or records are needed for this particular defect.
Before use resumes: obtain the engineer’s confirmation about safe use. Do not reconnect equipment or remove warnings yourself to restart it. Booking another annual inspection does not itself rectify the defect, and a repair does not automatically require a replacement CP12.
Keep Tenants and Managing Agents Informed
Everyone affected needs to know which equipment must stay unused and who is arranging the next step.
Affected equipment
appliance or installation and its location.
Engineer’s instruction
what must remain unused and any specific precautions.
Warning notice
where occupants and the landlord can find it.
Responsible contact
the landlord or managing agent arranging follow-up.
Access arrangements
who will admit the appointed engineer and when.
Next update
who will provide it and the agreed timing.
Use this six-field handover checklist as a practical aid, not an official form:
In shared accommodation, make sure the instruction reaches everyone using the affected appliance. If heating or hot water is unavailable, tell the landlord or agent promptly and request a plan for addressing the loss.
Landlord gas safety certificates
Ask About a Landlord Gas Safety Check in London
To enquire about a landlord gas safety check in London, have the existing record and any warning notice ready.
All Service 4 U uses Gas Safe registered engineers; 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.
Have your postcode, landlord-provided appliance list and access arrangements ready. Tell us about any equipment disconnected or turned off.
Ask About a Gas Safety Check: 020 3740 6785
020 3740 6785
Frequently Asked Questions
How Quickly Should My Landlord Fix My Boiler?
The response depends on the circumstances, but an unsafe boiler must stay unused while the landlord arranges appropriate action. Heating and hot water are landlord repair responsibilities. Report the problem promptly, explain any loss of essential facilities and request the proposed response and updates in writing. Making the equipment safe and restoring heating are separate steps; there is no single repair timetable for every situation.
What Can I Do if My Landlord Is Not Doing Gas Safety Checks?
Ask your landlord or agent in writing for the current gas safety record and confirmation of the check arrangements. Keep the correspondence. If the record is still not provided, you can report this to HSE using its LGSR1 form. For unresolved housing hazards, contact the council’s private rented housing or environmental health team. Active gas or carbon monoxide danger requires the emergency action described above.
What Happens if a Landlord Lets the Gas Safety Certificate Lapse?
A missed annual gas safety deadline requires prompt action to arrange the check; there is no grace period. A later booking does not retrospectively meet the missed deadline. An overdue check and an identified unsafe appliance are different issues: missing the date does not itself establish an unsafe classification. Any equipment already identified as unsafe must remain out of use.
Is a Boiler Service the Same as a Gas Safety Certificate (CP12)?
No. A boiler service is maintenance, while the landlord gas safety check records safety findings for the appliances and flues within its scope. Servicing the boiler does not replace the annual landlord check or cover other landlord-provided appliances. An existing warning still needs appropriate action; a service booking alone does not establish that the recorded defect has been rectified.
Can I Get the Landlord CP12 and Boiler Service Done in One Visit?
Yes, the landlord gas safety check and boiler service can be booked in one visit, but they remain separate tasks. Disclose existing warnings when enquiring and identify any equipment currently disconnected or turned off. A combined appointment does not promise to rectify a previously identified defect. The landlord must arrange appropriate remedial work and follow the engineer’s instructions about safe 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.