What London landlords call a gas safety certificate is the record of the annual check regulation 36 requires: every gas appliance and flue in the let property, checked by a registered engineer, with a copy to the tenant. The duty is national. What is local is the difficulty of getting into a flat in a managed block often enough to keep the date from slipping.
What the record actually covers
Every gas appliance and flue the landlord provides, not the boiler alone. The engineer checks that appliances burn correctly, that flues carry products of combustion away, that ventilation is adequate and that safety devices work, and records each appliance with a pass or a defect. An appliance the tenant owns is outside the duty, although the installation serving it is not.
Who may issue it
Only an engineer on the Gas Safe Register, and only for the categories their card carries. The record names the engineer and their registration number, which is what makes it checkable afterwards. A document produced by somebody who cannot be found on the register is not evidence of anything, whatever it looks like.
Timing, and the rule that stops dates drifting
The check is annual. A check carried out within the two months before the anniversary keeps the original date rather than resetting the clock, which is what lets a portfolio stay on one cycle instead of drifting a few weeks each year. A copy goes to the tenant, and to a new tenant at the start of the tenancy.
Access, which is the London problem
Getting an engineer into a let flat is the common reason a date slips: concierge hours in a managed block, tenants who work, and short lets that change occupant. The duty holder has to take reasonable steps and record them, because the defence for a missed check is evidence of the attempts, not the intention. Written notice, repeated attempts and a dated file are what that looks like.
How much is a gas certificate, and what the price is per
The number is priced per APPLIANCE, not per property, which is the first thing to establish when comparing quotes: a one appliance flat sits at the bottom of anybody's list and a house with a boiler, a hob and a gas fire is three inspections in one visit. In London two things then move it that do not apply elsewhere. Travel and parking, which on a single appliance job can be a real share of the bill, so a tester already working on your street that week prices differently from one crossing the city. And access, because a boiler in a cupboard behind a tenant's belongings, or a fire with a sealed surround, costs the engineer time whoever is paying. Ask whether a boiler service is inside the price, because it is a separate job often bundled, and ask what happens if an appliance fails: an appliance classed as immediately dangerous is disconnected on the day, which is a decision rather than a quote.
Questions people ask about gas safety certificate London
Is a gas safety certificate the same as a boiler service?
No. The record evidences the annual safety check the Regulations require across every gas appliance and flue. A service is maintenance of one appliance, and the two are usually bought together but produce different documents.
How long is a London gas safety record valid?
Twelve months. A check done in the two months before the anniversary keeps the original expiry date, so a portfolio can stay on one cycle.
What if the tenant will not let the engineer in?
The landlord must take reasonable steps and keep the evidence: written requests, repeated attempts and a record of each. The duty does not disappear, and the file is what answers for it.
Does a local gas safety check cost less?
Rarely by much. The scope is fixed by the regulations, so what varies is travel and the engineer's minimum charge, and any Gas Safe registered engineer may carry it out wherever they are based. In London the saving from a nearby engineer is usually smaller than the cost of a missed appointment.
What must a London gas certificate show?
Every gas appliance and flue checked, the result against each, any defect found and what was done about it, the date of the check, and the engineer's name and registration number. A document without the registration number cannot be checked against the register.
Who can carry out a gas safety check London landlords can rely on?
Only an engineer on the Gas Safe Register, and only for the appliance types their registration covers. Ask for the card and check the number on the register rather than taking a logo on a van or an invoice.