The legal bit

If you rent out a property in Scotland with gas appliances, you are legally required to have a Gas Safety Certificate (CP12) carried out every 12 months by a Gas Safe registered engineer. This applies to all gas appliances in the property: boilers, cookers, fires, and water heaters.

Failure to comply is a criminal offence. Fines can be unlimited, and in serious cases, landlords have faced prison sentences. More importantly, poorly maintained gas appliances can leak carbon monoxide, which kills roughly 30 people in the UK every year.

What gets checked

A CP12 inspection covers every gas appliance in the property. For each appliance, the engineer will check:

Gas tightness: are there any gas leaks at connections or within the appliance?

Burner pressure and gas rate: is the appliance burning gas at the correct rate?

Flue flow: are combustion products being safely removed from the building?

Ventilation: is there adequate ventilation for the appliance to operate safely?

Safety devices: are all safety controls working correctly?

The engineer will also check for signs of incomplete combustion, carbon monoxide spillage, and any physical damage to the appliance or its flue.

What happens if something fails

If an appliance fails the inspection, the engineer will classify it as one of three categories:

At Risk (AR): the appliance is not immediately dangerous but could become so. The engineer will recommend remedial action and note it on the certificate.

Immediately Dangerous (ID): the appliance poses an immediate risk. The engineer will disconnect it and attach a warning label. It cannot be used until repaired and re-inspected.

Not to Current Standards (NCS): the appliance works safely but does not meet current installation standards. This is a note for awareness, not a failure.

Timing and renewal

Certificates must be renewed every 12 months. You can renew up to two months early without losing time on your annual cycle. For example, if your certificate expires on 1st June, you can have the inspection done from 1st April and your next certificate will still run until 1st June the following year.

We recommend booking your renewal two to three weeks before the deadline. This gives time to arrange any repairs if an appliance fails, without the certificate lapsing.

Your responsibilities

As a landlord, you must:

Keep a record of each safety check for at least two years.

Provide a copy of the certificate to existing tenants within 28 days of the check.

Provide a copy to new tenants before they move in.

Ensure all gas appliances are maintained in a safe condition.

How we can help

We carry out landlord gas safety inspections across Glasgow and the surrounding area. We can inspect all gas appliances in a single visit and issue the certificate on the day if everything passes. If repairs are needed, we can usually carry them out during the same visit or schedule a return within a few days.

We also offer annual reminder services — we will contact you when your certificate is due for renewal so you never miss a deadline.

For landlords with multiple properties, we offer block booking rates. Get in touch for details.