Landlords – your legal responsibilities to keep your tenants’ gas safe
We are proud to be supporting Gas Safety Week 2025, taking place on the 8th – 14th September.
Gas Safety Week (coordinated by Gas Safe Register, the official list of gas engineers who are legally allowed to work on gas) is an annual safety week to raise awareness of the importance of gas safety. Encouraging the public to get gas appliances checked annually by a qualified Gas Safe registered engineer.
Unsafe gas appliances, whether badly fitted or poorly serviced, can cause gas leaks, fires, explosions, and carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. CO is a highly poisonous gas that can kill quickly and without warning, as you cannot smell it, see it, or taste it.
The theme this year is “Looking after your home, friends, and family” which emphasises that everyone has a role in gas safety. Landlords have a vital role as they are legally responsible for the safety of their tenants. If you’re a landlord, you are legally obliged to make sure:
- Gas pipework, flues and appliances provided for tenants’ use are maintained in a safe condition.
- All gas appliances and flues provided for tenants’ use have an annual safety check. Your tenants can report you to the HSE if you don’t provide one, so it’s important to remember!
- A Gas Safety Record is provided to the tenant within 28 days of completing the check or to any new tenant before they move in.
- You keep a copy of the Gas Safety Record until two further checks have taken place.
- Maintenance and annual safety checks must be carried out by a qualified Gas Safe registered engineer. You can find engineers in your area via the Gas Safe Register website. It’s a good idea to encourage your tenants to check the engineer’s Gas Safe ID card when they arrive at the property.
- All gas equipment (including any appliance left by a previous tenant) is safe or otherwise removed before re-letting.
- A carbon monoxide (CO) alarm is fitted in every habitable room of a rental property containing gas appliances (excluding appliances used for cooking purposes). As a landlord, you are required to carry out a checks and tests to ensure that carbon monoxide alarms in the rental property are working the day any new tenancy begins.
- Before purchasing a CO alarm, always check it complies with British Standard EN 50291 and carries a British or European approval mark, such as a Kitemark. Check the manufacturer’s recommendations about how you should fit and test your alarm to ensure that the unit and the batteries are in good condition.
For gas safety advice and to find or check an engineer visit the Gas Safe Register website at GasSafeRegister.co.uk. Alternatively, call the free helpline on 0800 408 5500.