HMO Gas Safety Certificates and CP12 Checks in London
Arrange an annual gas safety check for a London house in multiple occupation. Send the postcode, appliance list, current expiry date and access arrangements so the correct scope can be confirmed before the visit.
Smell gas or suspect carbon monoxide?
Open doors and windows, avoid flames and electrical switches, turn off the gas at the meter if you know how, leave the affected area and call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999. Do not wait for a routine certificate appointment.
What does an HMO landlord need to arrange?
The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations require a landlord to keep relevant gas fittings and flues in a safe condition and arrange an annual safety check for each gas appliance and flue provided for tenants. The duty generally applies to residential leases of less than seven years, including the usual HMO letting arrangements.
Gas safety checks and maintenance are not interchangeable. The annual check addresses prescribed safety matters at that visit. Maintenance should follow the appliance manufacturer\'s instructions or a competent engineer\'s advice, and may require servicing at a different interval.
If a managing agent arranges the appointment, the landlord\'s legal responsibility does not simply disappear. The management agreement should state who books the engineer, obtains access, receives the record, distributes copies and follows up defects.
What is checked and recorded?
The engineer needs an accurate appliance and flue schedule before starting. In an HMO that may include boilers, water heaters, fires, cookers or other landlord-provided gas equipment in bedrooms, shared kitchens, plant rooms and communal areas. The work is limited to items that can be accessed and that fall within the agreed scope.
Appliance operation
Operating pressure or heat input is checked where appropriate, together with the correct operation of the appliance and its safety devices.
Flue performance
The engineer checks that combustion products are removed safely and that the appliance is suitable for its flue arrangement.
Air supply and condition
Ventilation provision, installation condition and signs of unsafe operation are considered for each appliance in scope.
Safety record
The record identifies the property, engineer, appliances and flues checked, results, defects, remedial action and date of the next check.
Check the engineer\'s ID: Gas Safe registration alone is not enough for every task. The back of the engineer\'s Gas Safe ID card lists the categories of gas work they are qualified to undertake.
Which appliances and shared systems fall within scope?
Begin with the tenancy terms, inventory and plant layout. Fixed and portable gas appliances supplied by the landlord are normally included. A central boiler outside the occupied rooms can still fall within the duty when it serves the tenants\' accommodation.
A gas appliance owned by a tenant, and a flue or chimney solely connected to it, are generally outside the landlord\'s annual appliance-and-flue check duty. The landlord\'s maintenance duty still covers installation pipework and other landlord-controlled gas fittings. Tell the engineer about the arrangement rather than making assumptions about the scope.
The annual deadline and the 10–12 month window
The maximum interval is 12 months. Current HSE guidance allows the next check to be completed during the two months before the deadline while retaining the original renewal date. In practical terms, a check carried out between months 10 and 12 can preserve the existing anniversary, provided the flexible checking rules are followed and the previous record is available.
Confirm scope
Review the appliance list, repairs, tenant changes and any licence evidence request.
Book access
Offer suitable dates, issue written notice and plan access to bedrooms, kitchens and plant areas.
Complete the check
Resolve access problems early enough to avoid an expired record.
Do not confuse the flexible window with an extra two-month extension. If the check is completed late, the property may have a gap in compliance and the preserved renewal-date provision will not cure that gap.
What should happen after the check?
Review the landlord gas safety record against the agreed appliance schedule before filing it. It should identify each appliance and flue, the checks completed, the result, any defect and action taken, the property address, the engineer\'s details and the date. CP12 is an industry name; the value lies in a complete, accurate record rather than a particular branded form.
Give a new tenant the current record before occupation. Existing tenants should receive a copy within 28 days of the check. In a shared HMO, use a reliable distribution method and keep evidence of delivery. Retain each record until two further checks have been completed, which can mean keeping it for longer than two years.
For licensed HMOs, GOV.UK says an updated gas safety certificate must be sent to the council every year. The licence holder or managing agent should check the borough\'s submission method and any additional licence condition, then retain the acknowledgement or receipt. Do not assume the attending engineer submits the record unless that service has been expressly agreed.
Gas safety check, boiler service and CO alarm check
Annual gas safety check
Covers the statutory safety checks for relevant gas appliances and flues and produces the landlord gas safety record.
Read the London gas certificate guideBoiler service
Is maintenance carried out to the manufacturer\'s instructions and may involve cleaning, adjustment or parts not included in the annual check.
Review boiler service enquiriesCarbon monoxide alarms
Provide an additional warning measure. In England, alarm duties apply in rooms used as living accommodation containing a fixed combustion appliance, excluding gas cookers. An alarm never replaces gas maintenance or safety checks.
Read the current GOV.UK alarm guidancePlan access and act on unsafe findings
HMOs often require access to several occupied rooms as well as communal or locked plant areas. Give lawful written notice, offer reasonable appointment times and explain why access is required. Keep copies of letters, messages, attempted visits and tenant responses. HSE guidance expects landlords to take all reasonable steps, but the gas regulations do not give an automatic power to force entry.
If the engineer identifies an unsafe appliance or flue, follow the warning and do not use or reconnect isolated equipment. Repairs and return visits are separate work unless included in the quotation. The appliance should remain out of service until the required work has been completed by an appropriately qualified Gas Safe registered engineer.
HMO Gas Safety Certificate FAQs
Is an HMO CP12 different from a standard landlord gas safety record?
No. CP12 is the commonly used name for the landlord gas safety record produced after the annual check. An HMO does not need a separate government CP12 form, but the agreed scope must cover the relevant landlord-provided gas appliances and flues serving the property.
How often must an HMO gas safety check be completed?
Relevant gas appliances and flues must be checked every 12 months. A check completed in the final two months before the deadline can usually preserve the existing renewal date, provided the timing and records meet the flexible checking rules. Do not allow the current record to expire while arranging access.
Which gas appliances and flues are included?
The duty normally covers landlord-provided fixed and portable gas appliances and their flues. A central boiler outside a tenant's room may still be included if it supplies the accommodation. A tenant-owned appliance, and a flue or chimney solely connected to it, are generally outside this annual check duty; the landlord's duty to maintain installation pipework remains.
Does a gas safety check include boiler servicing?
Not automatically. The annual gas safety check and maintenance are related but separate duties. A service follows the appliance manufacturer's instructions and may involve work beyond the statutory check. Confirm whether servicing, repairs or parts are included when requesting the quotation.
What records must tenants receive and how long should the landlord keep them?
A new tenant should receive the current gas safety record before moving in, and an existing tenant should receive a copy within 28 days of the check. The landlord should retain the record until two further checks have been completed. For HMOs, keep distribution and access evidence with the property compliance file.
Does the engineer send the HMO gas safety record to the council?
Not normally. Unless a separate submission service has been agreed, the engineer provides the record to the person who arranged the check. The HMO licence holder or managing agent should follow the council's submission route, send the updated record when required and keep proof of delivery with the licence file.
What if access is refused or a gas appliance is unsafe?
Keep evidence of reasonable access attempts, including written notices and offers of suitable appointment times; landlords do not have an automatic right to force entry. If an engineer identifies an unsafe appliance, do not use or reconnect it until the required work has been completed by a suitably qualified Gas Safe registered engineer.
Send the postcode, appliance list and expiry date
Include room access, keys, known faults, previous records and any HMO licence deadline so the enquiry can be scoped accurately.