Landlord Gas Safety Certificates (CP12)
If you let a property with any gas appliance in it, a current Landlord Gas Safety Certificate — commonly called a CP12 — isn't optional paperwork, it's a legal requirement renewed every 12 months, and letting a property without one is a genuine offence, not just an oversight to fix later. Beyond the legal side, it's also the one visit a year that catches a developing fault in a boiler or gas fire before a tenant discovers it the hard way, which is exactly why one long-standing customer — a foster carer, where reliable, trustworthy tradespeople matter more than most — has used Rainbow Fix Ltd for annual servicing and landlord certification for years.
What's Included
- Full inspection of every gas appliance the landlord is responsible for — nothing skipped to save five minutes
- Certificate issued the same day when the property passes — no chasing paperwork for days afterwards
- Clear, honest explanation if a fault is found, before any repair is quoted — you know exactly what you're paying for and why
- Reminders available so renewal dates don't get missed across multiple properties — one less compliance date to track yourself
How It Works
- 1 Book the annual check, ideally a few weeks before the current certificate expires
- 2 Every gas appliance is inspected: tightness test, safe operation, ventilation and flue checks
- 3 A same-day certificate is issued if everything passes
- 4 Any fault found is explained plainly, with a quote before repair work starts
Common Issues
- • Certificates discovered to be expired only when a letting agent flags it
- • Multiple rental properties with renewal dates that are hard to track
- • An appliance found unsafe that needs repair before a certificate can be issued
Pricing: Typically £60–£90 per property for a standard check (indicative — confirm actual pricing with Rainbow Fix Ltd)
What Actually Happens When You Call
A CP12 visit covers every gas appliance in the property the landlord is responsible for — the boiler, a gas fire, a gas hob or cooker if supplied — with a tightness test on the gas installation and a full check of each appliance's safe operation, ventilation, and flue. If everything passes, the certificate is issued the same day, with a copy for the landlord and, by law, one to the tenant within 28 days. If an appliance fails, you're told plainly what's wrong and what it takes to put right, rather than being left to work out whether it's actually a problem.
Seasonal Considerations in Buckinghamshire & Berkshire
Landlords managing several properties often find their certificate renewal dates cluster and start colliding with the same autumn period everyone else wants their boiler serviced — booking your CP12 renewal a few weeks ahead of its expiry, rather than waiting until the date is imminent, avoids being caught out in that queue, especially with winter approaching and a boiler fault being far more disruptive for a tenant once the weather turns cold.
“We've used Rainbow Fix for 8-9 years for our annual servicing and landlord gas certificate. As foster carers, reliable, trustworthy tradespeople matter a lot.”
Still deciding what you need?
Call Roman directly on 07877 373229 — you'll get a straight answer, not a sales pitch.
Call 07877 373229Landlord Gas Safety Certificates (CP12) — Frequently Asked Questions
How often does a Landlord Gas Safety Certificate need renewing?
Every 12 months, without exception, for as long as the property is let with a gas appliance in it. The check can be carried out up to 2 months before the current certificate's expiry date without losing time from the following year's certificate, which is a useful way to smooth out renewal timing rather than always cutting it close.
What happens if a landlord doesn't get a valid CP12?
Letting a property without a valid, current gas safety certificate is a criminal offence, and beyond the legal risk, it can also invalidate landlord insurance and create serious liability if a tenant is harmed by a fault that a proper check would have caught. It isn't a piece of paperwork worth letting slip.
Does the certificate cover every gas appliance, or just the boiler?
It covers every gas appliance and flue that the landlord owns and has supplied to the tenant — typically the boiler, and a gas fire or hob if the landlord provided them. Appliances the tenant brought themselves aren't the landlord's legal responsibility to certify, though it's still worth knowing what's actually in the property.
Must tenants be given a copy of the certificate?
Yes — landlords are legally required to give existing tenants a copy within 28 days of the check, and to give new tenants a copy before they move in. Keeping a digital copy on file makes this straightforward rather than a scramble each time.
What happens if an appliance fails the safety check?
You're told plainly what's unsafe and why — whether that's a straightforward repair or, in a genuinely dangerous case, an appliance that needs to be disconnected until it's fixed. A certificate can't be issued for a failing appliance until it's either repaired or removed from the check, so it's worth booking with enough time before the expiry date to deal with anything that comes up.
How long does a landlord gas safety check take?
For a typical property with a boiler and perhaps one other gas appliance, expect somewhere around 30-45 minutes, similar to a routine boiler service — longer if multiple appliances need checking or if a fault needs investigating on the day.
I manage several rental properties — can renewal dates be coordinated?
Yes — this is a genuinely common request, and staggering or grouping renewal dates across a portfolio (rather than each property drifting to its own random date) makes it much easier to stay on top of, especially heading into the autumn period when demand for annual checks generally rises across the board.
Landlord Gas Safety Certificates (CP12) Near You
Marlow
Buckinghamshire · SL7
High Wycombe
Buckinghamshire · HP10, HP11, HP12, HP13, HP14, HP15
Reading
Berkshire · RG1, RG2, RG3, RG4, RG5, RG6, RG7, RG8, RG9, RG10
Related Services
Local, Straightforward, Upfront About Pricing
Rainbow Fix Ltd is based in Marlow, covering Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and surrounding areas. You'll deal with Roman directly — every job gets a plain-English diagnosis and a price agreed before any work starts.