What to expect during an inspection, your rights as a tenant, how to keep your home safe — and what to check yourself before you call your landlord about a boiler problem.
Your landlord is legally required to have all gas appliances in your home checked every year by a Gas Safe registered engineer. This is known as the annual gas safety inspection, and results in a Gas Safety Record (CP12). It's a legal requirement — not optional — and it's carried out for your protection.
If N4 Gas has been appointed by your landlord, here's exactly what to expect when we come to your home.
Our engineer will show you their Gas Safe Register ID card on arrival. You are entitled to check this before letting us in. You can also verify any engineer's registration at gassaferegister.co.uk or by calling 0800 408 5500.
Your boiler, any gas fires, gas cooker or hob, and any gas water heaters will be checked for safe operation.
Visible pipework will be inspected for condition and any signs of damage or deterioration.
Flues and air vents are checked to ensure products of combustion are safely escaping the property.
Gas pressure and flow rates are tested, and safety devices are checked to confirm they operate correctly.
A standard annual inspection typically takes between one and two hours, depending on how many gas appliances are in the property. We'll try to be as quick and unobtrusive as possible, and we'll tidy up after ourselves.
In some cases, your landlord or letting agent holds a set of keys for the property. If you have given written permission for your landlord to allow access for gas safety purposes, we may attend using those keys — meaning you don't need to be home. Your landlord should have notified you of the appointment in advance. If you're not sure whether you've given this permission or have any concerns about how access is being arranged, please speak to your landlord or letting agent directly.
The law gives tenants specific rights when it comes to gas safety in their rental home. Here's what you're entitled to — and what to do if those rights aren't being respected.
Your landlord must arrange a gas safety inspection every 12 months. If more than a year has passed since the last check, contact your landlord or letting agent immediately.
You are legally entitled to receive a copy of the Gas Safety Record before you move in (or within 28 days of the inspection if you're already a tenant).
All gas appliances in your rented home must be maintained in a safe condition. If an engineer marks an appliance as "at risk" or "immediately dangerous", your landlord must take action.
You have every right to ask for and check the Gas Safe Register ID card of any engineer who attends your property. Don't feel awkward about asking — it's entirely normal and sensible.
If you believe a gas appliance is unsafe and your landlord is not taking action, you can report it to the Gas Safe Register or your local council's environmental health team.
You can call the Gas Safe Register on 0800 408 5500 or visit gassaferegister.co.uk to verify any engineer or report a concern.
If your landlord has not carried out a gas safety check within the past 12 months, or has refused to provide you with a copy of the CP12, you can contact the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) at hse.gov.uk or your local council's private rented housing team. This is a serious legal matter for your landlord.
Gas is safe when appliances are properly maintained and used correctly. Here are some simple habits that will keep you and your household safe.
Don't hesitate. Turn off the gas at the meter, open windows and doors, don't use any electrical switches (including light switches), don't use your phone inside — go outside and call National Gas Emergencies on 0800 111 999 immediately. This is free, 24 hours a day. More advice from Cadent Gas →
Carbon monoxide (CO) is produced when gas appliances burn incorrectly. It has no smell, no colour and no taste — you cannot detect it without an alarm. It can be fatal.
If you suspect CO — get everyone out immediately. Call 999 if anyone is unwell. Don't go back in until it has been checked by a Gas Safe engineer.
Your landlord is responsible for providing and maintaining carbon monoxide alarms in rooms with a gas appliance (required by law in England since 2022). If yours is missing, damaged or beeping to indicate a low battery — report it to your landlord.
Further advice from Cadent Gas →Before you call your landlord — or before they call us — there are a few simple things worth checking yourself. Many "boiler breakdowns" turn out to be straightforward issues that take two minutes to resolve. This quick guide could save everyone a lot of time and inconvenience.
These checks are for tenants to carry out themselves without touching any gas fittings or internal components. If you're in any doubt, or if you can smell gas, do not proceed — report it to your landlord or call the National Gas Emergency line on 0800 111 999.
Is the room thermostat set to a temperature above the current room temperature? If it's set to 18° and the room is 20°, the boiler has no reason to fire. Turn it up to 22° and wait a couple of minutes to see if the boiler starts.
Has the programmer been accidentally changed? Check the times are set correctly — especially after a power cut, which can reset some older programmers to 12:00. Make sure today's heating schedule is actually switched on.
Most modern boilers have a pressure gauge on the front. The needle should sit between 1 and 1.5 bar when cold. If it's below 1 (or in the red zone), the system needs repressurising — this is usually done via a filling loop. Your landlord or their agent should have shown you how to do this; if not, contact them as this is their responsibility to arrange.
Is there a code showing on the boiler display, or a light flashing? Take a photo of it and note the code down — this is really useful information for the engineer and will help diagnose the problem faster. Common codes and what they mean vary by brand; your boiler manual (often available online by searching the model number) will usually explain them.
Most modern boilers have a reset button — often a flame symbol or "reset" label. Hold it for 3–5 seconds, release, and wait to see if the boiler fires up. If it resets but locks out again within minutes, there's an underlying fault and it needs an engineer.
Boilers need electricity to operate even though they run on gas. Check the boiler's power switch (usually on the wall nearby) is on, and check your fuse box — a tripped circuit breaker can cut power to the boiler without it being obvious.
In very cold weather, the condensate pipe (a small plastic pipe that usually exits through an outside wall near the boiler) can freeze, causing the boiler to lock out. This is very common in winter. Your boiler may display a specific fault code for this. The fix is to thaw the pipe carefully with warm (not boiling) water. Your landlord or their agent can advise if you're unsure.
Contact your landlord or letting agent — it's their responsibility to arrange a repair. They may contact us directly, or you may be asked to call us. We'll aim to attend as quickly as possible. If you have no heating in very cold weather, your landlord has a legal duty to make alternative arrangements promptly.
We'll be adding a more detailed self-help fault guide to this page soon — covering specific error codes, radiator problems and more common issues.
Gas Safe Register
gassaferegister.co.uk 0800 408 5500Verify engineer credentials or report a concern
Boiler pressure — what's normal?
If pressure is low, contact your landlord — repressurising is their responsibility to arrange.