A boiler certificate check normally means confirming that the gas safety record for a property is complete, in date and signed by a Gas Safe registered engineer. Four different documents get called a "boiler certificate", so the first job is identifying which one you are actually holding. The gas safety record is the one landlords in England must have renewed every 12 months. The others — the building regulations compliance certificate, the Benchmark service record and the EPC — answer different questions and come from different people.
Which of the four documents does a boiler certificate check mean?
Four separate documents get called a boiler certificate in everyday use, and only some of them are required by law in England. Work out which one you are holding before you chase anyone for it.
- Landlord gas safety record, often called a CP12 — issued by a Gas Safe registered engineer after the annual check. Required for landlords in England under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 as amended.
- Building regulations compliance certificate — issued through a competent person scheme or by building control after a boiler is installed or replaced.
- Benchmark commissioning checklist and service record — completed by the engineer in the back of the appliance manual. Not a legal document, but normally a condition of the manufacturer's guarantee.
- Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) — produced by an assessor and needed when a home is sold or let. You can look up an existing one on the GOV.UK find an energy certificate service.
A tenant asking about safety wants the gas safety record. A buyer's solicitor usually asks for the building regulations certificate and the EPC. A manufacturer handling a guarantee claim wants the Benchmark service record.
What must a gas safety record show before you accept it as valid?
HSE sets out seven things that must appear on a gas safety record. Run your eye down the document and check each one is there and legible.
- the description and location of each appliance and flue that was checked
- the name, registration number and signature of the engineer who carried out the check
- the date the check was carried out
- the address of the property
- the name and address of the landlord, or the agent acting for them
- any safety defects found, and the action taken about them
- a statement that the check meets the requirements of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998
Records have to be kept for at least two years. An electronic record is acceptable if it can be reproduced on paper, is protected against loss and alteration, and clearly identifies the Gas Safe registered engineer. A tenant may be sent the record electronically where they agree to that and can get at it.
A boiler certificate check fails on the small fields. If the engineer's registration number, the check date or the list of appliances is missing, the record is incomplete. Ask the engineer who did the work for a corrected copy rather than filing it as it stands.
Gas safety check or boiler service: which one does your certificate cover?
A gas safety check and a boiler service are two different jobs, and neither covers the other. Knowing which one was done tells you which document you should have been given.
| Criterion | Gas safety check | Boiler service |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Confirms the appliance, flue and pipework were safe to use on the day of the check | Maintenance work so the appliance keeps running as the manufacturer intends |
| Legal position in England | Required every 12 months for landlords under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 as amended | No statutory duty, but normally a condition of the manufacturer's guarantee |
| Document you end up with | Gas safety record listing appliances, engineer details and any defects found | Benchmark service record in the back of the appliance manual |
| Who may carry it out | Gas Safe registered engineer | Gas Safe registered engineer, for a gas boiler |
| Overlap | Does not include the servicing work on the appliance | Does not produce a gas safety record |
Landlords often book both visits together, which is why the two get confused. The difference matters when a guarantee claim or a council enquiry lands on your desk. There is more detail in our guide on the difference between a gas safety check and a boiler service.
How do you check the engineer who signed the boiler certificate is registered?
Ask to see the engineer's Gas Safe ID card before any gas work starts, and check both sides. HSE sets out what to look for.
- Front: photograph, start and expiry dates, licence number and security hologram, plus the business name you actually booked.
- Back: the types of gas work the engineer is qualified for, and whether those qualifications are still current.
- Verification: text "Gas" and the seven-digit licence number to 85080, or ring the free helpline.
The business named on the card should match the business named on the certificate. If the record shows a registration number but no name, or a name you do not recognise, treat that as a reason to query it. Our guide on checking a gas safety certificate is genuine walks through the same fields in order.
When must a landlord in England give the tenant a copy of the gas safety record?
Regulation 36 of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 sets the deadlines for handing over a gas safety record in England.
- Existing tenants: a copy within 28 days of the check being carried out.
- New tenants: a copy of the most recent record before they move in.
- Lets of 28 days or less: the record may instead be displayed in a prominent position in the property.
- Any person in lawful occupation: a right to inspect the record on request, with reasonable notice.
The appliance check itself is due every 12 months. A landlord can arrange it in the two months before the due date and keep the existing due date, under the 2018 amendment to the regulations. That avoids the date creeping forward each year.
Do you need a boiler certificate check if you own and live in the home?
No law in England requires an owner-occupier to hold an annual gas safety certificate. HSE recommends that gas appliances are serviced and safety checked at least every 12 months by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
The paperwork still matters for the guarantee. Manufacturers generally require the boiler to be registered within their own time limit, then serviced each year by a Gas Safe registered engineer, with the Benchmark service record completed and left with you. Registration windows and guarantee lengths differ by brand and model, so read the terms for your own appliance.
If the Benchmark pages at the back of your manual are blank, the manual is probably not the one that came with the boiler, or the sections were never filled in. Ask the engineer at the next service to complete them. Anything involving gas, the flue, seals or the inside of the boiler casing is work for a Gas Safe registered engineer, not something to inspect yourself.
How do you check a boiler was notified under the building regulations?
Installing or replacing a boiler in England must be notified to a building control body, unless the installer is registered with a competent person scheme. A registered installer notifies the local authority and issues the compliance certificate, either directly or through the scheme operator.
If nothing has arrived 30 days after the work, contact the scheme operator. Where the installer is not registered with a scheme, a building notice has to go to local building control before work starts, and a completion certificate follows. Without either route, the council holds no record of the installation, and those documents are routinely asked for when a home is sold.
Our guide to the building regulations compliance certificate after a new boiler explains what the document looks like and who holds a copy. If your annual service and safety check are both due, you can book a boiler service and repair visit and have the paperwork completed at the same time.
Sources
- HSE – Gas safety check records and what to keep
- legislation.gov.uk – Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, regulation 36
- HSE – Gas safety checks: what if…?
- HSE – Check an engineer: are they Gas Safe registered?
- HSE – Gas safety: home owners
- HSE – Maintenance: gas appliances and flues
- GOV.UK – Building regulations approval: use a competent person scheme
- GOV.UK – Building work, replacements and repairs to your home
- Vaillant – Domestic boiler guarantee terms and conditions
- GOV.UK – Find an energy certificate