The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 specifically deal with the installation, maintenance and use of gas appliances, fittings and flues in domestic and certain commercial premises. They place duties on certain landlords* to ensure that gas appliances, fittings and flues provided for tenants’ use are safe.
These duties to protect tenants’ safety are in addition to the more general ones that landlords have under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.
* Details of these landlords can be found in HSE’s Approved Code of Practice on the Regulations (see ‘Further reading’ section).
What type of property is covered?
The duties generally apply to appliances and flues provided for tenants’ use in ‘relevant premises’, that is those occupied for residential purposes under either a licence, a tenancy agreement for a set term, or a lease as defined in the Regulations. Essentially any lease under seven years is covered.
What are my main duties as a landlord?
You are required to:
■ ensure gas fittings and flues are maintained in a safe condition. Gas appliances should be serviced in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. If these are not available it is recommended that they are serviced annually unless advised otherwise by a Gas Safe registered engineer;
■ ensure an annual safety check is carried out on each gas appliance/flue. Before any new lease starts, you must make sure that these checks have been carried out within one year before the start of the lease date, unless the appliances in the property have been installed for less than 12 months, in which case they should be checked within 12 months of their installation date;
■ have all installation, maintenance and safety checks carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer;
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■ keep a record of each safety check for at least two years; ■ issue a copy of the latest safety check record to existing tenants within 28 days of
the check being completed, or to any new tenant before they move in (in certain cases there is an option to display the record).
The Regulations specify the gas safety matters to be covered. You should not assume that an annual service inspection meets the safety check requirement, or that a safety check will, on its own, be sufficient to provide effective maintenance. Ask the advice of a Gas Safe registered engineer where necessary.

Landlord Gas Safety Inspections