A landlord gas safety check must be done every 12 months on each gas appliance and flue. It can be done up to two months early without losing the original deadline, existing tenants must get a copy of the record within 28 days, and nobody may force entry if the tenant refuses access. Those are HSE's rules, and they shape how a heating engineer should book, confirm and document landlord work, especially the visits where nobody answers the door.
This guide summarises HSE guidance for landlords in Great Britain. Northern Ireland has its own regulations. It is not legal advice to landlords; point them to HSE or their own adviser for that.
What exactly does HSE require?
From HSE's landlord guidance:
| Requirement | Rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Frequency | A gas safety check "every year on each gas appliance/flue" | HSE: who needs checks |
| Early checks | Up to 2 months before the due date, keeping the original deadline | HSE: records |
| Record retention | At least 2 years; with early checks, until two further checks are done | HSE: records |
| Existing tenants | Copy within 28 days of the check | HSE: records |
| New tenants | Copy before they move in | HSE: records |
| Access | No force; landlord must show all reasonable steps | HSE: dealing with tenants |
HSE also lists the minimum contents of the record, including a description and location of each appliance, the engineer's name, registration number and signature, the date, the property address, the landlord's details, any defects and the remedial action taken.
How does the two-month early window work?
The flexibility came in with the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) (Amendment) Regulations 2018. HSE describes it as checks "carried out up to 2 months before the date the check needs to be carried out but still retain the original deadline date (as if the check had been carried out exactly 12 months after the previous check)" (HSE).
For an engineer, this is a scheduling tool:
- Plan around your diary. You can offer landlords any slot in the two months before the deadline, so the work can go into quieter weeks.
- Batch portfolios. A landlord with several properties can have them done on one day if all the deadlines fall within the window.
- Fit tenants' availability. Two months gives room to find a time the tenant can actually be in.
There is a separate one-off rule for newly installed appliances: HSE says you "can only extend the time between installation and first gas safety check by two months", which lets a new appliance be brought into line with the others in the property (HSE).
Keep the record-keeping consequence in mind when you explain this to landlords: if they use the early window, the record has to be kept until two further checks have been carried out.
Why are no-access visits such a problem?
Because the cost lands on you. You drive to the property, nobody answers, and the slot is gone. For the landlord, it is a compliance risk: they still need the check done, and HSE says they must be able to show they "took all reasonable steps to comply with the law" (HSE). Landlords raise it on consumer forums, for example on MoneySavingExpert.
HSE's guidance on tenants who refuse access:
- The landlord must not use force to enter (HSE refers to regulation 39 of the 1998 Regulations).
- HSE strongly advises keeping a record of all correspondence with the tenant.
- Leave a notice of the attempted visit with contact details.
- Write to the tenant explaining the legal requirement and why it matters for safety.
- Give the tenant the opportunity to arrange their own appointment.
- HSE inspectors look for repeated attempts, and what counts as reasonable depends on the circumstances.
How can an engineer cut no-access visits?
Not every no-access visit is a refusal. Some are tenants who forgot, were never told, or could not make the time, and that part you can design out:
- Book with the tenant, not just the landlord. Ask the landlord for the tenant's mobile and confirm the slot directly with the person who will open the door.
- Offer a choice of slots. Use the two-month window to give options. A slot the tenant picked is one they are more likely to keep.
- Confirm and remind. A confirmation when booked, then reminders shortly before. Remi sends reminders 48 hours, 24 hours and 2 hours before each booked visit and handles the "can we move it?" calls, so a tenant who cannot make it rebooks instead of simply not answering the door.
- Leave a card if nobody is in. Date, time, your contact details and how to rebook. This also supports the landlord's record of reasonable steps.
- Report every attempt to the landlord in writing. Date, time, what you did. Your notes become part of their evidence.
If tenants are ringing you to rearrange while you are mid-job, an AI receptionist set up for heating engineers can pick up those calls and move the booking for you. For anything safety-related, the route stays the same: a caller who smells gas in Great Britain should be told to ring the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999, free and open 24 hours, and 999 if anyone is in immediate danger.
A landlord work checklist for engineers
- Record each property's deadline date, not just the date you last visited.
- Offer slots across the two-month early window.
- Confirm with the tenant directly, by text.
- Remind before the visit and make rebooking easy.
- Leave a dated card on any no-access visit.
- Send the landlord a written note of every attempt.
- Issue the record promptly so the landlord can meet the 28-day tenant deadline.
The short version
Landlord gas safety checks are due every 12 months on each appliance and flue, and can be done up to two months early without losing the original deadline. Records are kept for at least two years, existing tenants get a copy within 28 days, and new tenants before they move in. Nobody may force entry; the landlord must show reasonable steps, and your notes help prove them. The biggest cost for engineers is the no-access visit, and most of those can be prevented by booking with the tenant directly, offering choices within the window and reminding before you arrive.