Gas and electrical safety for landlords: CP12, EICR and alarms

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Every landlord in England needs three safety records in place before a tenant moves in. Where there is gas, a gas safety check by a Gas Safe registered engineer every 12 months, with a copy to the tenant. For every property, an electrical inspection and report (EICR) at least every five years. And smoke and carbon monoxide alarms fitted and working on the first day of the tenancy.

This guide summarises the rules at the time of writing from HSE and GOV.UK. It is general information and not legal, tax or financial advice. The engineer or electrician who inspects your property is the right person to explain what a particular finding means.

Gas: the annual check and the CP12

The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 put three duties on landlords:

• Maintenance. Keep the gas pipework, appliances and flues you provide in a safe condition.
• The annual check. Have each appliance and flue checked within 12 months of installation and every 12 months after, by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
• The record. Keep a record of each check for two years, give a copy to each existing tenant within 28 days of the check, and to any new tenant before they move in.

The record is still widely called a CP12 or landlord gas safety record. HSE allows the check to be carried out up to two months before the deadline while keeping the original date, so book it in that window.

A tenant's own gas appliance is not the landlord's responsibility, but the pipework serving it is. Check the engineer's report for any appliance marked "at risk" or "immediately dangerous" and act the same day.

Electrics: the EICR

The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 require the fixed electrical installation to be inspected and tested at least every five years by a qualified and competent person. The result is an Electrical Installation Condition Report.

The report codes each defect:

• C1: danger present, risk of injury.
• C2: potentially dangerous.
• FI: further investigation required without delay.
• C3: improvement recommended.

Any C1, C2 or FI makes the report unsatisfactory. The work must be done within 28 days, or a shorter period if the report says so, and the landlord must then give written confirmation to the tenant and the council within 28 days of completion. A C3 does not have to be acted on under the regulations, but it is worth pricing.

If the inspector sets an interval shorter than five years, follow it. Older converted flats in Bournemouth and Poole, rewired piecemeal over decades, often get shorter intervals.

Alarms

Since 1 October 2022 the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015, as amended, require:

• at least one smoke alarm on every storey with a room used wholly or partly as living accommodation;
• a carbon monoxide alarm in any room used as living accommodation that contains a fixed combustion appliance, such as a boiler, gas fire or wood burner. Gas cookers are excluded;
• each alarm in working order on the day a new tenancy begins;
• repair or replacement once the landlord is told an alarm is faulty.

Councils enforce these rules. The government's booklet says failing to comply with a remedial notice can lead to a fine of up to £5,000.

Test alarms at check-in with the tenant present and record it on the check-in report, with a photograph. Tenants then test them during the tenancy and report faults.

Access for checks

The landlord needs access to carry out the gas check, but the tenant's permission is needed to enter. HSE expects landlords to take all reasonable steps: give written notice of the appointment, offer other times, and keep a record of each attempt. If access is still refused, keep the evidence and take advice rather than forcing entry. The same approach applies to the EICR and to remedial work.

Tell tenants at check-in why the checks matter and how appointments will be arranged. Most access problems come from short notice or a missed message.

What to do in an emergency

Tell tenants what to do if they smell gas: turn off the supply at the meter if it is safe, open windows, do not use switches or flames, leave the property and call the National Gas Emergency number. For an electrical emergency, switch off at the consumer unit if safe and call the landlord or agent at once. Put both instructions in the welcome pack and by the meters.

Penalties

Each rule has its own enforcement: HSE for gas, and the council for electrics and alarms. Breaches can bring fines, civil penalties and, for gas, prosecution. Beyond the penalties, missing safety records weaken a landlord's position in any dispute or possession claim, and a serious gas or electrical failure can invalidate insurance.

HMOs and furnished lets

Licensed HMOs carry extra conditions: GOV.UK lists sending the council an updated gas safety certificate every year and providing electrical appliance safety certificates on request. Our licensing guide covers the local scheme.

In a furnished let, portable appliances you supply must be safe. Portable appliance testing is not a general legal requirement for a single let, but a dated test record is useful evidence.

A safety calendar

1. Record each expiry date: gas (12 months), EICR (five years or the interval stated), EPC (10 years).
2. Book the gas check in the two months before its date.
3. Send each new record to the tenant and keep proof of delivery.
4. Schedule remedial work as soon as a report arrives.
5. Test alarms at every check-in and inspection.

The full list of duties is in our landlord legal checklist. Under our property management service we book the checks with local Gas Safe engineers and electricians, chase the remedial work, and send copies to tenants with a record of delivery. Our guide to what a property manager does shows where these fall in the year.