Gas Safety

If an engineer undertakes gas work at your property, it is important to understand what documentation you should expect to receive. This information is particularly relevant for landlords, who have a legal duty of care toward their tenants.

Landlords are responsible for ensuring that Gas Safety Checks are carried out and kept up to date. While all gas engineers must be registered with the Gas Safe Register, it is the landlord’s responsibility—not the engineer’s— to ensure compliance.

What Is a Gas Safety Record?

A Gas Safety Record is documentation provided by a gas engineer after gas work has been carried out. The type of documentation issued may vary depending on whether the work was a service or a safety check.

Although gas engineers must be Gas Safe registered, they are not legally required to issue a Gas Safety Record after every visit. The key exception is when the property is rented—landlords must obtain and retain a valid record.

Landlord Gas Safety Record – Key Requirements

As a landlord of a residential property, you are legally required to arrange an annual gas safety check on all gas appliances and flues by a Gas Safe registered engineer. The results of these checks are recorded in the Landlord Gas Safety Record.

You must keep a copy of this record and provide it to your tenants as required.

Your Gas Safety Record Should Include:

• Description and location of each appliance or flue checked
• Name, registration number, and signature of the Gas Safe engineer
• Date the safety checks were carried out
• Address of the property where the appliances are installed
• Landlord’s name and address (or managing agent’s details)
• Details of any safety defects and actions taken or required
• Results of all operational safety checks performed

Gas Pipework Safety

Gas pipework within a rented property must also be kept in a safe condition. While installation pipework is not fully covered by the annual gas safety check, both industry best practice and the HSE recommend that landlords ask their Gas Safe registered engineer to:

• Test the tightness of the entire gas system, including installation pipework
• Visually inspect pipework where reasonably practicable

Maintaining valid gas safety records helps protect tenants, ensures legal compliance, and reduces the risk of serious gas-related incidents.

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