Landlord Sentenced For Failing To Arrange Annual Gas Safety Checks

Brief Summary

A private landlord did not have the gas boiler and associated appliances at a rented property inspected for eight years. The failure to arrange and retain annual gas safety checks exposed tenants to the risk of carbon monoxide and led to criminal prosecution and a fine.

What Was The Incident?

The rented house was occupied from 2016 by a tenant and her five children. An investigation opened in October 2024 after a local authority raised concerns that no annual gas safety checks had been carried out during the tenancy. The landlord supplied a single gas safety certificate dated November 2024 produced after the concern but could not provide records for the previous eight years. The management failures were not arranging the legally required annual inspections by a Gas Safe registered engineer and not keeping the records that landlords must retain. The hazard was unsafe gas appliances and flues with a risk of carbon monoxide poisoning for the occupants.

What Was The Outcome?

The landlord pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 36(3) of the Gas Safety Installation and Use Regulations 1998. He was fined £2,400 and ordered to pay £5,000 in costs following the prosecution on 8 October 2025.

Key Points To Consider

Confirm annual gas safety inspections. Review inspection schedules and tenancy records so every gas appliance and flue is checked every 12 months by a Gas Safe registered engineer and visits are logged.

Retain and be able to produce records. Keep copies of all gas safety certificates for the duration of tenancies and have a process to produce historic records promptly for regulators or local authorities.

Verify engineer credentials and tenant safety measures. Check engineer registration before work starts by recording the Gas Safe registration number, and make sure carbon monoxide alarms are fitted and tested so tenants have an early warning of danger.

HSE Prosecution Link