The landlord gas safety certificate explained in plain terms

The landlord gas safety certificate — the facts that change the job

• The legal duty sits under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998
• It covers appliances and flues the landlord owns and supplies for tenant use
• The check must be carried out only by a Gas Safe registered engineer
• The record lists each appliance, the checks done and any defects found
• It is commonly called a CP12 but that name is not used in the regulations themselves

What we check first with the landlord gas safety certificate

The duty comes from the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, which requires landlords to have gas appliances, fittings and flues that they own and provide for tenant use checked for safety at intervals of no more than 12 months. The record itself lists each appliance checked, the checks carried out, any defects found and the engineer's Gas Safe licence number, and it is the document you produce if a tenant, letting agent or local authority ever asks for proof the property is compliant.

Where we deal with this

• Shepton Mallet (BA4) · 7 mi
• Calne (SN11) · 15 mi
• Westfield (BA3) · 1 mi

Questions we get asked

Is CP12 the correct legal name for this document?

No. CP12 is the trade nickname; the regulations refer to it as a landlord gas safety record, and that is the wording you will see on the certificate itself.

Does the certificate cover appliances the tenant brought with them?

Generally not, since the duty applies to appliances the landlord owns and supplies. It is worth stating responsibility for tenant-owned appliances clearly in the tenancy agreement.

What details must appear on the record?

The property address, a description of each appliance and flue checked, the outcome of each check, any defects and action taken, and the engineer's name and Gas Safe registration number.