Gas safety for UK homes and landlords

Most gas problems come down to appliances that have not been maintained. A boiler, fire, cooker or water heater that is serviced regularly and installed correctly is generally safe. Left unchecked, the same appliance can develop a leak or start to produce carbon monoxide, a gas you cannot see, smell or taste.

Service your boiler and gas appliances every year. An annual service by a Gas Safe registered engineer keeps appliances running efficiently and catches faults early. For most boilers a yearly service is also a condition of keeping the manufacturer's warranty valid, so it can pay for itself.

Know the warning signs of an unsafe appliance. A healthy gas flame burns crisp and blue. Warning signs worth acting on include a lazy yellow or orange flame, black or sooty marks or staining around an appliance, a pilot light that keeps blowing out, and more condensation than usual on the windows in the room. If you notice any of these, stop using the appliance and call a Gas Safe registered engineer.

Carbon monoxide is the silent risk. Because it has no smell, the early symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are easy to miss and are often mistaken for a cold, tiredness or flu: headaches, dizziness, nausea, breathlessness and collapse. A useful clue is whether symptoms ease when you leave the house and return when you go back in, or whether other people and pets in the home feel unwell at the same time. An audible carbon monoxide alarm, fitted near your appliances and tested regularly, is the single most useful safeguard.

If you let residential property in Great Britain, gas safety is one of your clearest legal responsibilities. The framework is the well-established Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, and it has been in force for many years, so it is stable ground compared with newer reforms. In broad terms it means the following, though you should always confirm the current detail on the HSE website before relying on any point.

Arrange an annual gas safety check. Each gas appliance and flue you are responsible for must be checked by a Gas Safe registered engineer at least every 12 months. You cannot do this yourself unless you happen to be on the register, and you should only ever use a registered engineer for gas work.

Get and keep the record. After the check the engineer issues a Landlord Gas Safety Record, still widely called a CP12 from its old form code. It lists the appliances checked, any defects and the action taken. You should keep a copy for at least two years.

Give your tenants a copy. Under the long-standing rules you should give existing tenants a copy of the record within 28 days of the check, and give new tenants a copy before they move in. Keeping proof that you served it, and when, is worth doing: our proof-of-service record is built for exactly that kind of dated evidence trail.

Keep everything else in good repair. Beyond the annual check, you are expected to keep the gas pipework, appliances and flues in a safe condition and to act on any defect an engineer flags. A tidy record of when work was done sits naturally alongside your inventory: see our inspection and inventory report.

Why the paperwork matters more than ever. Since the Renters' Rights Act reforms removed no-fault eviction in England, the documents behind a tenancy carry more weight, because a possession case can turn on whether the landlord met their own duties. A valid, served gas safety record is part of that trail. Our Renters' Rights Act guide explains the wider picture.

The core duties a private landlord in Great Britain owes under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, with who carries them out and roughly when. Treat this as a map rather than the letter of the law, and verify the current detail on the HSE website before relying on any point.

You should get a copy of the gas safety record. If you rent from a private or social landlord in Great Britain, you are generally entitled to a copy of the annual gas safety record: within 28 days of the check if you already live there, or before you move in for a new tenancy. It is reasonable to ask for it, and to ask when the next check is due.

The check is the landlord's job, not yours. Arranging and paying for the annual gas safety check falls on the landlord, not the tenant. You are expected to give an engineer reasonable access when a check or repair is arranged, but you should never be asked to arrange gas work yourself on the landlord's appliances.

If your landlord will not provide the record. Start by asking in writing and keeping a copy of your request, so there is a clear trail. Gas safety in rented homes is enforced by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), and your local council's housing team may also be able to help. Free, independent advice is available from Citizens Advice and Shelter. Withholding rent can carry its own risks, so take advice before doing so.

If you think an appliance is unsafe. Stop using it, tell your landlord in writing and ask them to arrange a Gas Safe registered engineer. If you smell gas or suspect carbon monoxide, treat it as an emergency and follow the steps below straight away, then let your landlord know.

If you own and live in your own home, you do not have the annual landlord duties above, because those fall on people who let property. That does not mean gas safety stops mattering: you are the one responsible for keeping your own appliances safe.

Book an annual service. Having your boiler and other gas appliances serviced every year by a Gas Safe registered engineer is the single best habit. It catches wear before it becomes a fault, keeps efficiency up, and is usually needed to keep a boiler warranty valid. Our new boiler cost calculator and boiler repair or replace tool can help if a service turns up a bigger problem.

Fit and test carbon monoxide alarms. An audible CO alarm to a recognised standard, placed near your gas appliances, is inexpensive and can be life-saving. Test it regularly and replace it in line with the manufacturer's guidance. Alarm requirements differ across the UK nations and can be stricter for rented homes, so check the rules that apply where you live.

Keep vents and flues clear. Appliances need a supply of air and a clear route for fumes. Do not block air bricks, vents or flue outlets, and be careful with building work or insulation that could obstruct them. If in doubt, ask a Gas Safe registered engineer.

If you smell gas or suspect a leak, act straight away:

• Call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999 (Great Britain).
• Open doors and windows to let the area air.
• Turn the gas off at the meter control valve if you can safely reach it.
• Do not use light switches, doorbells, electrical items or anything that could cause a spark, and put out naked flames.
• Do not smoke, and get everyone out into fresh air if the smell is strong.

If a carbon monoxide alarm sounds, or people or pets feel unwell, get everyone into fresh air, turn off the appliance if you safely can, and seek medical help. Tell whoever manages the property, and do not use the appliance again until a Gas Safe registered engineer says it is safe. If anyone has collapsed or is struggling to breathe, treat it as a medical emergency and call 999.

These are general safety pointers, not a substitute for the instructions the emergency services or your gas network give you on the day. Always follow their advice.

All legal gas work in Great Britain must be carried out by a business and engineer on the Gas Safe Register, the official register that replaced CORGI in 2009. Whoever services your boiler, fits an appliance or investigates a fault should be registered, and it takes a moment to check.

Two easy checks:

• Ask to see the ID card. A Gas Safe registered engineer carries a card with their photo, a licence number and a start and expiry date. The back lists the specific types of gas work they are qualified to do, so you can see they are competent for the job in hand.
• Search the register. You can look up an engineer or business, or report an unregistered one, at gasaferegister.co.uk. If someone offering gas work cannot show a valid card and is not on the register, do not let them do the work.

Landlords and homeowners alike benefit from keeping the engineer's details and the dated record together, so the next check is easy to prove and easy to plan.

This guide is general information about gas safety in the UK, not legal or safety-critical advice, and it does not create a professional relationship. The rules and the relevant standards can change. Before acting on anything here, confirm the current position on the HSE website (hse.gov.uk) or gov.uk, use a Gas Safe registered engineer for any gas work, and in an emergency follow the instructions of the emergency services or your gas network.