Landlord Gas Safety Certificate (CP12) Cost for Leicestershire

It usually starts with an email from the letting agent: the gas safety certificate on the flat runs out in three weeks, and they need a copy. Or you’ve got a new tenant moving in on Friday and you’ve just realised last year’s record is in a drawer somewhere, three months out of date.

We carry out landlord gas safety checks across Hinckley, Nuneaton, Coventry and Leicester, for landlords and letting agents. The rules aren’t complicated, but the deadlines are strict, and it’s the dates that catch people out.

Here’s what the check covers, what it costs, and exactly what the law asks of you.

What is a landlord gas safety certificate?

It’s a record showing that every gas appliance, flue and pipework you provide in a rented property has been checked as safe by a Gas Safe registered engineer. Landlords must have one under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998.

Its proper name is a Landlord Gas Safety Record. Most people still call it a CP12, which was the name of the old CORGI form before Gas Safe took over the register. It’s the same thing.

What does a gas safety check include?

The engineer checks every gas appliance and flue that you, as the landlord, provide. That usually means the boiler, the gas hob or cooker, and any gas fire. Appliances that belong to the tenant aren’t your responsibility, although the pipework feeding them is.

On each appliance, the engineer will typically check:

that the gas pipework and connections are sound, with a tightness test
that the appliance is burning gas correctly, at the right pressure or rate
that the flue or chimney is clearing fumes properly
that there’s enough ventilation
that the safety devices are working

The record itself must show, as a minimum:

a description and the location of each appliance or flue checked
the engineer’s name, Gas Safe registration number and signature
the date of the check
the address of the property
your name and address, or your agent’s
any safety defect found and the action taken

Records can be kept electronically, as long as they can be printed and the engineer can be identified.

How much does a landlord gas safety certificate cost?

Our landlord gas safety check starts from £70.

The price depends mainly on how many gas appliances there are. A flat with a combi and an electric oven is quicker than a house with a boiler, a gas hob and a gas fire. If an appliance fails, any repair or replacement is quoted separately before any work is done.

Boiler service and gas safety certificate together

A lot of landlords book both on the same visit, which saves arranging access twice. They aren’t the same thing, though. A gas safety check confirms the appliances are safe to use. A boiler service goes further, cleaning and checking the boiler’s internal parts so it keeps running properly and stays within the manufacturer’s warranty.

One doesn’t replace the other, but doing them together makes sense. Here’s what’s included in a boiler service and what a boiler service costs.

How long does a gas safety check take?

For a typical property with a boiler and a hob, the check usually takes under an hour. Properties with more appliances, or with an appliance that needs investigating, take longer. Someone needs to be there to let the engineer in, so it’s worth agreeing a time with your tenant well in advance.

How long does a gas safety certificate last?

Twelve months. The check has to be done every year.

Since 2018, you can have the check done up to two months before the deadline and keep the original expiry date, as if it had been done exactly twelve months after the last one. That gives you a two-month window to book without losing any time off the certificate. If you use it, you need to keep the record until two further checks have been carried out, so you can show the dates were met.

The rules landlords must follow

Under the gas safety regulations and the alarm regulations, a landlord in England must:

have every gas appliance and flue they provide checked every 12 months by a Gas Safe registered engineer
give existing tenants a copy of the record within 28 days of the check
give new tenants a copy before they move in
keep the records for at least two years
fit a carbon monoxide alarm in any room used as living accommodation that has a fixed combustion appliance, such as a boiler or gas fire (gas cookers are excluded), and repair or replace it if a tenant reports it’s faulty

The carbon monoxide alarm rule came in on 1 October 2022, and it applies to private and social landlords.

What happens if you don’t have one?

Gas safety enforcement sits with the Health and Safety Executive. HSE says failing to comply puts lives at risk, and can result in a substantial fine and/or a custodial sentence. Separately, councils can fine landlords up to £5,000 for breaching the smoke and carbon monoxide alarm rules.

If a tenant won’t let the engineer in, you’re expected to show you’ve tried. HSE looks for at least three attempts, so keep a record of every letter, email and missed appointment.

Do homeowners need a gas safety certificate?

No. If you own and live in your home, there’s no legal requirement to have a gas safety certificate. Some buyers, mortgage lenders and insurers do ask for one, and it can help when you sell.

For your own home, an annual boiler service covers the boiler’s safety and keeps the warranty valid, which is usually what matters more.

When should I call Hinckley Plumbing & Heating?

Get in touch if:

your certificate is due in the next two months
you’ve got a new tenancy starting
the last record listed an appliance as “at risk” or “immediately dangerous”
you’ve had a new boiler or gas appliance fitted in a rented property

A lot of the rented housing around Hinckley, Nuneaton and Coventry is terraced and older semi-detached homes, often with older boilers and the odd gas fire. When an appliance fails, our engineer follows the Gas Safe unsafe situations procedure, explains what’s wrong, and quote for the repair or replacement so you can get the property compliant again quickly.

If you let commercial premises or an HMO with a commercial setup, see our guide to commercial gas safety certificate costs.

Landlord gas safety certificate (CP12): what you need and what it costs