Every 12 months, each gas appliance and flue you supply for a tenant has to be checked by a Gas Safe registered engineer, and a copy of the record goes to each existing tenant within 28 days. That is the landlord gas safety certificate, and in 2026 it is still a legal duty. The check itself has not changed. The rules around it have, most of them from 1 May.
This guide is for landlords in England, and every rule in it comes from the Health and Safety Executive, GOV.UK or the regulations themselves. For what a check usually costs in Barnsley, and what Joe tests appliance by appliance, see the gas safety certificates page.
What changed for landlords in 2026?
None of this year's changes touch the check. They change what you put in writing, what the certificate used to protect, and where it may soon have to be recorded.
New tenancies must spell out your gas duties
For a tenancy starting on or after 1 May 2026, the Renters' Rights Act means the tenant must be given written information about the key terms before the tenancy is agreed. The government's guidance on what that information must include has a gas section. If the property has a gas appliance or flue covered by the rules, you have to explain that Regulation 36 of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 puts three obligations on you:
- keeping gas fittings, and the flues serving them, in a safe condition
- having each appliance and flue checked by a Gas Safe registered engineer, at the intervals the regulations set
- getting a report of each check and giving every tenant a copy
You can put this in the tenancy agreement or give it separately. You can add your own line, such as "checked every 12 months", but the guidance says you must also state that the interval is set by the 1998 Regulations. GOV.UK says not giving the required written information can mean a fine of up to £7,000.
Tenancies that already existed were treated differently. One with a written agreement needed the government's Information Sheet by 31 May 2026, not new paperwork. One agreed only by word of mouth needed the written terms, gas section included, by the same date.
The section 21 gas rule went with section 21
Until this year, a landlord who had not given the tenant a copy of the gas safety record could not serve a valid section 21 notice. That condition came from regulations made in 2015. Section 21 "no-fault" evictions ended for private landlords on 1 May 2026, and the gas condition was revoked for private tenancies from the same day.
That does not make the record matter less. The duty to check, record and hand over a copy sits in the 1998 Regulations, which still apply, and the Health and Safety Executive enforces them. In October 2026 HSE published the case of a Wirral landlord who left a boiler unchecked for eight years while a tenant lived there with her five children. It came to light when the council raised a concern. He was fined £2,400 and ordered to pay £5,000 in costs.
Landlord registration starts in December
Registering your rental property opens on 15 December 2026, in the West Midlands first, then region by region over 12 months. Once your area is called you have three months to sign up, and every landlord actively letting must be registered by 14 November 2027. GOV.UK says it will be a legal requirement, with a fine for not registering. The government's roadmap adds that there will be an annual fee, and expects the database to hold each property's gas, electrical and energy performance certificates, subject to Parliament.
What does a landlord gas safety certificate have to show?
The standard form is called the Landlord Gas Safety Record, whatever name the agent uses for it. HSE notes it used to be called a gas safety certificate or CP12. HSE sets out the minimum it must contain, which is worth checking yours against:
- each appliance and flue that was checked, and where it is
- the engineer's name, Gas Safe registration number and signature
- the date of the check and the address of the property
- your name and address, or your agent's
- any safety defect found, and the action taken
- confirmation that the check covered the points listed in regulation 26(9)
Two details are worth knowing. The engineer should issue the record as soon as the check is finished, even when a fault was found, instead of holding it back until a repair is done. And HSE calls it a "living document": once a defect is put right, that follow-up is added to the same record.
The registration number is the one to look up. Joe's number is 633652. To confirm it, check us on the Gas Safe Register. Whoever you use, the back of their Gas Safe card shows the kinds of gas work they are qualified for, and HSE advises making sure it covers the appliances in your property.
When is the check due, and can you have it early?
A new appliance needs its first check within 12 months of being installed. After that, each check must be no more than 12 months after the last one. Since April 2018 the rules have allowed some give:
- Up to two months early, same deadline. A check done in the two months before the due date counts as done on the due date, so you lose nothing by booking ahead. If you use this, HSE says keep each record until two further checks have been done, so you can show the dates worked.
- One-off realignment. If a new appliance falls due at a different time from the rest, regulation 36A lets you push that one appliance's check up to two months past its due date, once, to bring it onto the same date as the others.
- A record still in date can be reused. A record is valid for 12 months from the check, so a new tenancy that starts within that time can be handed the same one.
A property standing empty between tenants is not exempt. Every appliance and flue must be safe, with an up-to-date record, before the next tenants move in.
Who counts as a landlord for gas safety?
HSE's definition is wide: anyone who rents out a property they own on a lease or licence shorter than seven years. That includes taking in a lodger, and it includes holiday lets from cottages to caravans and narrow boats. For stays of under 28 days you can display a copy of the record prominently in the property instead of handing one over. LPG appliances carry exactly the same duties as mains gas.
Four arrangements need care:
- Subletting. If your tenant sublets, the duty stays with you. Where the whole property is sublet, your contract with the tenant must say clearly who arranges the check.
- Letting agents. An agent only takes on the gas duties if the management contract says so. If it is vague, they remain yours, and HSE suggests asking the agent to show you the records.
- Passing it to the tenant. You cannot. A tenancy agreement, even a full repairing and insuring lease, does not transfer the duty.
- Family living rent-free. There is no legal duty, though HSE strongly recommends keeping the appliances maintained and serviced anyway.
Is a gas safety check the same as a service?
No. The regulations treat them as two separate duties. The annual check is a set of safety tests that ends in the record. Maintenance is the other duty: HSE describes it as an ongoing programme of regular inspections and whatever repairs they lead to, following the manufacturer's instructions. Where there are no instructions, it recommends a yearly service unless a Gas Safe engineer advises otherwise.
The check has limits too. HSE points out that the installation pipework is not covered by the annual check, although keeping it safe is still your responsibility. Joe's guide on how often a boiler should be serviced covers the service side, and the boiler servicing page explains what he does on one. If you want both done on the same visit, ask when you book.
What happens if the check finds a fault?
If an engineer switches an appliance off, HSE is plain about it: it is because the appliance is unsafe and should not be used, however inconvenient that is. It is illegal for anyone to use a gas appliance they suspect is unsafe, so it stays off until it has been put right.
Your part is to have a Gas Safe registered engineer carry out the remedial work. If it is the heating that has been disconnected, HSE says you must provide the tenant with emergency heating while that is arranged, and your local council can advise on what that should be. The record is still issued, with the defect on it, and the repair is added once it is done.
One shortcut to turn down: a registered engineer knowingly "signing off" gas work done by someone who is not registered. HSE says that is not acceptable, and both of them may face prosecution. If the fault is on the boiler, Joe gives a fixed price for the boiler repair before any work starts.
What if a tenant refuses access for the check?
You must not force entry. What the law asks is that every reasonable step was taken, and that you can prove it, and HSE inspectors look for at least three attempts. HSE suggests:
- a tenancy agreement that gives access for safety checks
- a notice left whenever an attempt fails
- a letter explaining that the check is a legal requirement and is for the tenant's own safety
- the chance for the tenant to arrange an appointment themselves
Keep a copy of everything sent and every reply. Whether your steps were reasonable is ultimately for a court to decide, and that file is your evidence.
Can you send tenants the record by email?
Yes, as long as the tenant agrees and can open it. HSE also expects an electronic record to be printable, kept safe from loss or tampering, and to identify the engineer, for example by a scanned signature or registration number. A tenant who asks for paper is entitled to it.
Which other rules sit alongside the certificate?
Carbon monoxide alarms. Since October 2022, any room used as living accommodation that has a fixed combustion appliance needs a carbon monoxide alarm. Gas cookers are the exception. Alarms must be checked on the first day of a new tenancy, and once a tenant reports a faulty one you must repair or replace it as soon as reasonably practicable. Councils enforce this, and a landlord who ignores a council's remedial notice can be fined up to £5,000.
Gas appliances in bedrooms. HSE says that since 31 October 1998, a room converted into a bedroom should not have a gas fire, gas space heater or gas water heater (boilers included) over 14 kilowatts gross input unless it is room-sealed. One of 14 kilowatts or less, or any instantaneous water heater, must be room-sealed or have an atmosphere-sensing device. If a room with one of these appliances was already a bedroom before 1998, you need a risk assessment to decide whether it can stay one. If you are thinking of turning a second reception room into an extra bedroom, look at what is on the wall first.
Booking a landlord check in South Yorkshire
Joe runs Verity Heating from Jump in Barnsley and carries out landlord checks across Barnsley, Sheffield, Rotherham, Doncaster and Wakefield. The engineer who does the check is the one who signs the record, with no call centre in between. The boiler is tested on the flue gas analyser before he leaves. You know the price before he picks up a tool, and you pay once the job is finished.
"Joe did a great job connecting and testing my cooker and doing a gas cert for me." Nancy, Google review
To book a check before your next one falls due, call Joe on 07791 793415, send a WhatsApp to the same number, or ask for a straight quote.
