What Is a CP12?
CP12 is the name almost everyone uses for the Landlord Gas Safety Record, the document produced after the annual gas safety check that landlords are legally required to arrange.
The name is a leftover. CP12 was the form number under the old CORGI scheme, which was replaced by the Gas Safe Register in 2009. The document has a different official name now and the old one stuck, which is why you will see both used interchangeably.
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What the law actually requires
The duty comes from the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. In summary, a landlord must:
- Arrange an annual safety check on every gas appliance and flue in the property, carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer
- Give the record to existing tenants within 28 days of the check
- Give it to new tenants before they move in
- Keep records for two years
There is no grace period. The certificate runs continuously or you are in breach, and this is a criminal duty rather than a civil one.
What the check covers
- Gas tightness of the installation
- Appliance operating pressure and gas rate
- Combustion performance, using a flue gas analyser
- Flue condition and flue flow, including terminals
- Ventilation, which is a common failure point where an air vent has been blocked up
- Safety devices operating correctly
- Visual inspection of accessible pipework
The engineer records a pass or fail for each appliance and, where something fails, what the defect is and what action was taken.
It covers appliances the landlord provides. If a tenant brings their own gas appliance, the landlord is not responsible for maintaining it, but remains responsible for the pipework and flue serving it.
What a CP12 is not
This causes more confusion than anything else in the subject.
A gas safety check
- Confirms the appliance is safe on the day
- Does not clean the burner
- Does not clean the heat exchanger
- Does not check the expansion vessel charge
- Does nothing to extend the life of the boiler
A service is maintenance
- Cleans, checks and adjusts the appliance
- Keeps it working and inside its manufacturer warranty
- Does not produce a CP12 unless the engineer also carries out the safety check
You can have one without the other. A property can pass a gas safety check while running a boiler that has never been serviced and is one winter from failing. Most landlords are best served booking both on a single visit, which is what we normally do: one trip, one access arrangement, both obligations covered.
The two month rule, which is under-used
Since 2018 you can have the annual check carried out up to two months before the current certificate expires without losing your original anniversary date. The new certificate runs from the old expiry, not from the date of the visit.
That is genuinely useful. It lets you:
- Move an awkward renewal date permanently, if yours falls at Christmas or in the middle of a tenancy changeover
- Get ahead of the autumn rush
- Align several properties onto one visit rather than six separate ones
There is no equivalent flexibility the other way. Once a certificate has expired, you are in breach from that day.
Access, which is the usual reason certificates lapse
Tenants not letting the engineer in is the commonest cause, and the landlord remains liable regardless.
What works: plenty of written notice with a record kept, a range of times offered rather than a single slot, letting the engineer contact the tenant directly, escalating in writing if access is refused, and using the two month window so you have runway rather than trying to arrange access in the final week.
Documented, repeated, reasonable attempts are what you will be judged on. Leaving it to the last fortnight is what makes that difficult.
What happens if you do not have one
- Criminal liability under the Gas Safety Regulations, with the Health and Safety Executive able to investigate and prosecute.
- Local authority enforcement with civil penalty powers for housing offences that can be substantial.
- Insurance. Most landlord policies list a current gas safety record as a condition of cover. A claim after a fire or a tenant injury with a lapsed certificate may be refused, leaving you personally liable.
This guide is general information rather than legal advice
This area has moved recently, so check current guidance where a specific question is live.
Frequently asked questions
Is CP12 still the correct name?
It is the name everyone uses. Officially it is a Landlord Gas Safety Record, and CP12 is a leftover from the pre-2009 CORGI form numbering.
Do I need one if the property only has a gas hob?
Yes. The duty applies to gas appliances and flues generally, not just boilers.
Can I get the check done early?
Yes, up to two months before expiry, and you keep your original anniversary date.
Is it the same as a boiler service?
No. The check confirms safety on the day. A service maintains the appliance and keeps the warranty valid. They are different jobs.
How long does the check take?
Usually under an hour for a single boiler property, longer with multiple appliances or access difficulties.
What if an appliance fails?
The engineer records the defect and takes appropriate action, which may include capping an immediately dangerous appliance. You then arrange the repair.
Do tenants get a copy?
Yes. Existing tenants within 28 days, new tenants before they move in.
What to do about it
Book a check
Call 07514 312117 or send a WhatsApp with the property address and current expiry date. We can arrange access with tenants directly and carry out the service on the same visit. Gas Safe registered 981362, CIPHE member, fully insured.