Landlord safety certificates: what you need and when

General information for landlords in England as at October 2026, not legal advice. Rules differ in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland; check gov.uk or a qualified adviser for your situation.

In England a landlord needs a Gas Safety record every 12 months (if there are any gas appliances), an electrical safety report (EICR) at least every 5 years, and a valid EPC rated E or above before letting. You must also fit working smoke alarms and the right carbon monoxide alarms, and assess the risk of legionella. Each one has its own deadline and its own paperwork to give the tenant.

Which certificates does a landlord need?

Prices are typical ranges and vary by area and property size. You can book a Gas Safety certificate (£70), an EICR (from £120) or an EPC (£120) on our certificates page.

Gas Safety certificate (every 12 months)

If the home has any gas appliance, flue or pipework that you provide, the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 require a check every 12 months by a Gas Safe registered engineer. The engineer gives you a landlord gas safety record, often called a CP12.

• Give a copy to existing tenants within 28 days of the check, and to new tenants before they move in.
• Keep each record for at least 2 years.
• You can have the check done up to 2 months before the deadline and keep the original renewal date, so the yearly cycle doesn’t creep earlier.
• Appliances a tenant owns are their responsibility, but the pipework serving them is still yours.

Always check the engineer’s ID card and look them up on the Gas Safe Register.

EICR: electrical safety every 5 years

The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 require the fixed electrical installation (wiring, sockets, consumer unit, fixed lights) to be inspected and tested by a qualified person at least every 5 years, or sooner if the report says so.

• Give the tenant a copy within 28 days, and new tenants a copy before they move in.
• Send a copy to the council within 7 days if they ask for one.
• If the report is “unsatisfactory” (codes C1, C2 or FI), the remedial work must be done within 28 days, or sooner if the report says so, and you must get written confirmation that it’s done.
• Councils can impose civil penalties of up to £30,000 for breaches.

Read the government guidance on electrical safety standards. Portable appliance testing (PAT) isn’t legally required in a single let, but it is good practice for appliances you supply.

EPC: 10 years and a minimum rating of E

You need a valid Energy Performance Certificate before you advertise or let, and it lasts 10 years. Under the minimum energy efficiency standard, a privately rented home in England and Wales must be rated E or above unless a valid exemption is registered. The government has confirmed a higher standard (the equivalent of C) by 1 October 2030. See our EPC rules for landlords guide for the detail, and look up any certificate on the EPC register.

Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms

Since 1 October 2022, landlords in England must fit at least one smoke alarm on every storey with living accommodation, and a carbon monoxide alarm in any room with a fixed combustion appliance (gas boilers, wood burners, oil; gas cookers are excluded). Alarms must work on the first day of each new tenancy, and you must repair or replace one once you’re told it’s faulty. Our smoke and carbon monoxide alarm rules guide covers it in full.

Legionella risk assessment

Landlords have a duty under health and safety law to assess and control the risk of legionella bacteria in the water system. There is no legal requirement for a certificate or a lab test. For most homes with a combi boiler and mains water the risk is low, and you can do the assessment yourself:

• Note any stored water (cold tanks, hot water cylinders) and keep the cylinder at 60°C.
• Flush taps and showers that have been unused, especially between tenancies.
• Descale and clean shower heads.
• Tell tenants to report problems and to run water that has been standing.

Write down what you checked and when, and keep it with your other records.

Other things to have in place

• Deposit protection: protect the deposit within 30 days and give the prescribed information.
• Property licence: needed for larger HMOs everywhere, and for other homes where your council runs a licensing scheme.
• Written tenancy information: under the Renters’ Rights Act, tenancies from 1 May 2026 need key terms in writing. See our Renters’ Rights Act guide.
• An inventory: not a legal certificate, but the record that protects the deposit. You can do a check-in on your phone with DIY Inventory, including photos of each alarm and meter.

How to keep track of renewal dates

Missed renewals are the most common problem. A gas record that lapses by a week is still a breach. Keep each certificate’s date, its expiry and a copy of the file in one place. Our free landlord dashboard stores your Gas Safety, EICR, EPC and licence dates and emails you reminders before each one is due.

Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland

• Wales: under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act, landlords need an EICR every 5 years, a yearly gas check, and mains-wired smoke alarms on every storey.
• Scotland: an EICR every 5 years, a yearly gas check, interlinked smoke and heat alarms, CO alarms and a legionella risk assessment, under Scotland’s own rules.
• Northern Ireland: yearly gas checks, and from December 2024 smoke, heat and CO alarm rules for private tenancies; electrical checks follow their own rules.

Questions

Updated 27 October 2026