Guide · the record
Gas safety records explained: what they should show
The record of a landlord's annual gas safety check, often called a CP12 or gas safety certificate, is the document that proves the check happened. Whether you're a tenant reading one or a landlord filing them, here's what HSE says it should contain and how it must be handled.
Short answer
One record usually covers every appliance and flue checked. It must identify the Gas Safe registered engineer who did the check, include the landlord's or agent's name and address, and record what was checked and any defects. Tenants get a copy within 28 days, new tenants before moving in; landlords keep records for two years.
The content
What the record covers
HSE explains that usually one record is issued covering all the items checked, rather than a separate record for each appliance or flue. It should show each gas appliance and flue that was checked, the outcome, and any defects found and action taken.
The record must identify the engineer in a way that's protected from loss and interference. HSE gives examples: an electronic or scanned signature, the engineer's Gas Safe licence number, or the engineer's name. It must also include the landlord's name and address, or the letting agent's. The landlord doesn't have to sign it.
Landlords can even design their own record form, HSE says, provided it's given to the Gas Safe registered engineer to fill in before the check.
Checklist
Reading one, line by line
| Look for | Why |
|---|---|
| Date of the check | The next one is due within 12 months |
| Engineer's identity and Gas Safe number | So it can be checked on the register |
| Landlord's or agent's name and address | Required on the record |
| Every gas appliance and flue in the home | Anything missing wasn't checked |
| Defects and action taken | Including any "Danger, Do Not Use" labels |
Copies
Who gets a copy, and when
- Existing tenants: within 28 days of the check being completed.
- New tenants: before they move in.
- Stays under 28 days, such as holiday lets: a legible copy can be displayed prominently in the premises instead.
- Shared accommodation: displaying a copy prominently can be enough, but tenants must be told where it is and how to get their own copy.
Electronic copies are allowed if the tenant is happy to receive them that way and can access them, but tenants can ask for a paper copy.
Keeping records
How long landlords keep them
Landlords must keep records for at least two years. That's also what makes the early-check flexibility work: under the 2018 amendment, a check done up to two months before the deadline can keep the original deadline date, but only if the landlord can show, from the records, that the law has been complied with.
Good practice is to keep every record for as long as you let the property, alongside service records and any repair paperwork. If you change letting agent, make sure the records come with you.
Problems
If something's wrong with the record
An appliance is missing. Ask the landlord why. If it's an appliance the landlord provides, it should have been checked.
A defect is noted but not fixed. Ask in writing what's being done. An appliance labelled "Danger, Do Not Use" must not be used.
The engineer can't be found on the register. Raise it with the landlord, and with the Gas Safe Register.
There's no current record. Ask the landlord in writing. HSE says tenants without a current gas safety record can report it using its form LGSR1.
Tenants
Keep your copy safe
Your copy is your evidence that the gas appliances in your home were checked. Keep it with your tenancy agreement, note when the next check is due, and ask in good time if it doesn't happen. If you're moving into a new rented home, ask for the record before you sign or at least before moving in. See moving into a rented home and tenants' rights.
Landlords
A record that's easy to rely on
The record is the landlord's evidence as much as the tenant's. A complete, legible record for each property, issued on time, filed for at least two years and copied to tenants promptly, is what shows the duty was met if anything is ever questioned. Use the date tool on the landlord page to keep track of when each property's next check is due, and book within the two-month window so a delay doesn't push you past the deadline.
If you manage several properties in Liverpool, a simple list with each address, the date of the last check, the deadline and the date tenants received their copies makes the whole year easier to run.
For agents
Letting agents and the record
Many Liverpool landlords use letting agents to arrange the annual check. The legal duty stays with the landlord, so agree in writing who books the check, who sends tenants their copy within 28 days, and who keeps the records. The record can carry the agent's name and address instead of the landlord's, HSE says, but the landlord should still be able to produce it.
If you change agents, ask for every past record to be handed over, so the two-year history isn't lost.
For tenants, the record is also a useful guide to your home: it lists the gas appliances and flues that were checked, which tells you what's there and what the landlord is responsible for. If you later notice an appliance that isn't on it, mention it to the landlord before the next check.
Ask the engineer to explain anything on the record you don't understand before they leave; it's part of the job.
Sources used on this page
- Gas safety check records and what to keep · HSE (3 November 2026)
- Gas safety checks: what needs them · HSE (3 November 2026)
- Gas safety checks: who needs them · HSE (3 November 2026)
- Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, regulation 36 · legislation.gov.uk (3 November 2026)
- Domestic gas: frequently asked questions · HSE (3 November 2026)
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