Gas safety record
Plain English. Practical detail. UK context.
A gas safety record documents the checks and findings for the gas appliances and flues within its stated scope. For landlords, the required record is often informally called a CP12 or gas safety certificate. It is not the same as an invoice, boiler service sheet or a promise that no future fault can occur.
Safety: gas work must only be done by a Gas Safe registered engineer who is qualified for that type of appliance. Check their ID card or the Gas Safe Register. If you smell gas, leave the property and call the gas emergency number: 0800 111 999 in Great Britain or 0800 002 001 in Northern Ireland.
Last reviewed: (editorial review against the public sources listed below).
Read the appliances, date and findings
HSE lists minimum information including the property, landlord or agent, appliances and flues checked, engineer identity and registration, date, safety-related defects, action and confirmation of the required examinations. Homeowners or landlords should check the actual description rather than assume every appliance is included. Tradespeople should record findings clearly and accurately. A trainee must not sign for checks they have not competently completed. A neat form or a business logo does not replace the correct registered engineer and the actual checks.
Give tenants the required information
HSE says existing tenants must receive a copy within 28 days of the completed check and new tenants before they move in. It describes electronic records and tenant access, including paper copies where requested. It also explains retention for at least two years and additional evidence needed when using the permitted scheduling flexibility. Check the actual circumstances rather than apply a casual annual reminder without supporting dates. Holiday and shared arrangements can have specific provisions. A landlord should manage records and access rather than assume an engineer automatically handles every communication duty.
Record defects and follow-up honestly
HSE says the record should be issued when the checks are complete, even where concerns are found, and not delayed until remedial work is finished. Necessary action and prevention of unsafe use remain essential. Keep follow-up information with the record so it describes the developing situation. A safety check and a service have different scopes; one does not automatically include every task of the other. Trainees should learn accurate reporting and the appropriate unsafe-situation process under competent supervision, not minimise a defect to produce a reassuring-looking certificate.
A useful homeowner and contractor agreement
Agree appliances, check and service scope, access, price, records and arrangements for additional work. Verify the business and engineer's relevant Gas Safe categories. Prices and outcomes vary from job to job, so compare written, itemised quotations rather than relying on a typical figure. HSE guidance concerns Great Britain; Northern Ireland arrangements should be checked separately. Keep the record securely and make it accessible to those entitled to it. A certificate is evidence of specified findings at a point in time, not authorisation to ignore a smell, alarm or symptom later. An emergency requires prompt action rather than waiting for the next scheduled check or relying on last year's paperwork.
Frequently asked questions
Is a boiler service invoice the landlord gas safety record?
Not automatically. Check the required scope, examinations and record information.
Should the record be withheld until defects are repaired?
HSE says issue it on completion of the checks and supplement it with follow-up action.
Sources and further reading
Public sources and further reading. Sources checked: 8 November 2026. Consult the original for details and later changes.