Landlord Gas Safety Certificates (CP12) and Gas Engineer in South Tyneside

What a CP12 is

A CP12 is the annual gas safety record a landlord needs for the gas appliances and flues they provide in a rented home. Many people still call it a landlord gas safety certificate, and it is the document tenants and letting agents usually ask to see.

The record itself sets out the property address, the landlord or agent, the appliances and flues that were checked, the outcome for each, any defects found with the action taken, and the name of the engineer who carried out the check, along with the date.

Under gas safety law, a landlord must have a gas safety check done every year on the gas appliances and flues they provide for the tenant to use. A copy of the record goes to existing tenants within 28 days of the check and to new tenants before they move in, and landlords keep the records for at least two years.

What the check looks at

A landlord gas safety check typically looks at how the appliances burn, whether flues are clear and working, the ventilation, the gas pressure or heat input, and the safety devices that shut an appliance down if something goes wrong. Anything found is written on the record, along with what was done about it.

Which appliances and flues are included depends on what the landlord provides. Tell us what gas appliances are in the property when you book, and ask which ones the check will cover. Tenants are responsible for the safety checks on their own gas appliances, rather than the landlord.

Timing the renewal

The check can be done up to two months before the current record runs out while keeping the original expiry date, which helps landlords avoid a gap between records. Putting the renewal date in a diary and calling in good time saves a scramble.

If a letting agent manages the property, agree between you who arranges access with the tenant, since the check needs someone to let us in.

The gap between one tenancy and the next is a sensible moment for the check, when the property is empty and access is simpler to arrange, though the twelve month deadline still runs from whenever the last check was done.

When an appliance fails the check

Where an appliance is judged dangerous, the usual practice is to disconnect it with the responsible person's permission and leave a warning notice so nobody uses it. The fault is recorded on the CP12 either way.

We explain what we found and what the options are before starting any repair, so the landlord can decide on the next step.

Gas engineering beyond the certificate

Gas engineering covers more than the annual record. Boiler repairs, servicing and installations have their own pages. For a gas appliance other than the boiler, ask when you call whether it is something we can take on.

Rented homes around South Tyneside include flats above shops, terraced houses and bungalows, and the layout affects where the meter, boiler and flues sit, which is worth describing when you book.

If a tenant smells gas

Landlords should make sure tenants know what to do if they smell gas: get out of the property, leave switches alone, turn off the gas at the meter if that can be done safely, and call the National Gas Emergency line on 0800 111 999. Tenants should ring that number first, before they contact the landlord or a plumber.