For gas appliances and flues within the landlord duty, arrange a safety check every 12 months. Give the record to existing tenants within 28 days and new tenants before they move in; retain it for at least two years. Maintenance is a separate continuing duty. Check the letting, appliance and shared-installation arrangements against HSE guidance.
Separate servicing, safety checks and repairs
A boiler service, a gas safety check and repair of a fault are different tasks. Confirm what the engineer has been instructed to do.
- Use an appropriately qualified Gas Safe registered engineer for the appliance and work involved. Check the engineer's relevant categories.
- Identify the appliances and flues within the landlord's responsibilities. Record any limitation or appliance that was inaccessible.
- Read the completed record for defects and required action. An appointment or paid invoice does not establish that the safety check was completed satisfactorily.
Arrange access early and keep trying
Offer appointments in enough time to complete the annual check before it becomes overdue.
- Give reasonable written notice, explain the purpose and offer workable alternatives. Ask about disability, work or communication needs that affect access.
- Keep each request, reply, missed visit and contractor attendance record. HSE guidance expects reasonable steps, but a set number of attempts is not a universal legal safe harbour.
- If access remains blocked, obtain advice on lawful steps and contact the appropriate enforcement or advice route where needed. Do not force entry for a routine annual check.
Complete the evidence and follow-up
The record needs to reach the tenant as well as the landlord's files.
- Provide the record to existing tenants within 28 days and to new tenants before occupation as required. Retain the landlord's records for at least two years.
- Follow the engineer's unsafe-appliance instructions immediately and arrange repairs. Do not allow an isolated appliance to be recommissioned by an unqualified person.
- Set the next check from the applicable rules and completed check, and separately schedule service or repair recommendations.
Example: three appointments fail
A fictional tenant cannot attend three offered visits. Keep the correspondence and offer realistic alternatives, but do not mark the duty satisfied solely because three attempts were made. Review the remaining time and obtain advice on the next lawful access step.
What to do
- Confirm the appliances, flues and responsibilities covered.
- Arrange a competent Gas Safe engineer and keep the full record.
- Record repeated reasonable access attempts and offer another appointment. Do not force entry.
Evidence to keep
- Gas safety record and maintenance history
- Tenant information and access correspondence
Sources and guidance
- Gas safety: landlords and letting agentsHealth and Safety Executive · checked 20 October 2026