Electrics and gas
Does a landlord’s gas safety record become a guarantee to the person buying the house?
No. A landlord gas safety check is a duty for rented homes, repeated on a cycle the regulations set for landlords. It is not a warranty that transfers to a buyer, and it is not a substitute for the tests a home survey has already said it did not do. If you want to know the boiler’s condition, ask a Gas Safe engineer.
Last reviewed 24 October 2026. Written for buyers in England and Wales unless this answer says otherwise. No named surveyor has signed this page. It is general guidance, not a report on your house, and not legal advice.
What is the fuller explanation?
Sellers who live in the house are not handing over a landlord’s record because they were never that landlord. Sellers who have been letting may have one. Read the date, the defects noted, and whether those defects were said to be fixed. An old record with open defects is more useful than a seller’s sentence that “the gas is fine”. HSE’s guidance is about who may work on gas and about safety in the home. It does not say a record lasts for the next owner’s mortgage.
The survey and the record can disagree because they are different inspections. The surveyor did not test the appliance. The engineer did, on a date that may now be old. If the dates and the defects matter to you, instruct a fresh check. There is no rule that the seller must pay for it. Ask your solicitor before you assume the cost follows the record.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Have you seen a gas safety record, or only heard that one exists?
- What defects did that record list, and does the survey mention the same appliances?
- What would a fresh Gas Safe visit cover that neither paper covers?
What are the typical next steps?
- Ask the seller for the latest record and the service history, and read them.
- If they are missing or old, decide whether you need a fresh engineer before exchange.
- Do not describe an expired landlord check as a current safety certificate in a price negotiation.
Costs vary with the building and with who you instruct. Where this page does not cite a published figure, ask the surveyor, a relevant specialist, or your solicitor for a written quote. Do not treat a forum average as the price.
Also asked about this
How long does a landlord check last?
The duty on landlords is to keep checks in date. A buyer should read the date on the paper they were given, not assume a year from a conversation. This page will not stretch an old record.
Does the check include the gas fire and the cooker?
Only if they are on the record. Look at the list of appliances. The survey may have seen appliances the record does not name.