Gas Safety Certificate Explained – CP12 Certificate

If you are a landowner and you lease your property to tenants, you are required by law to obtain a gas safe certificate.

This certificate is often called the CP12 certificate and must be obtained if you own residential or domestic property. Variations of the CP12 must be obtained for commercial properties and properties under construction or renovation. This guide will explain what a CP12 certificate is and how you can get one.

Why Do You Need a Gas Safety Certificate?

Before we get into details, it is essential to know why you need a gas safety certificate. As a landowner, you are under a legal obligation to obtain a gas safety certificate before you can rent your property.

The Gas Safety Certificate is applicable for residential properties like flats, hostels, and rented houses. It also applies to commercial properties like hotels and retail shops. You may think a GSC is unnecessary, but you must know that getting a gas safety certificate is legally required. Those who do not obtain one can be criminally prosecuted.

Other names for the CP12 are Landowners Gas Safety Certificate (LGSC) and homeowners gas safety certificate. These are essentially the same document, but it is important to note that if you own a home and do not rent it out or use it for commercial purposes, you are not required by law to obtain a gas safety certificate.

However, you need to ensure that your appliances are in working order and operating safely, including knobs, flutes, and other gas appliances.

What is a CP12?

The residential gas safe certificate , also known as a CP12, is a document that you will obtain after undergoing a gas safety inspection. A registered qualified gas safe engineer will perform the check.

The gas safe register is a database of all qualified engineers that are registered. When you call a company to hire an engineer for an inspection, you should ask if they are listed in the gas safe register. When the engineer comes for the inspection, they will have a card that will have their picture, their name, and their registration number.

The CP12 is the certificate they issue after the inspection. It will have the following information on it:

• A description of all of the appliances that have been checked and their location on the premises.
• The name of the gas safety engineer and their registration number.
• Your full name and any other personal details.
• The date of the inspection.
• The address where the inspection was done.
• Information on any faults that were found in the gas appliances.
• If there were any issues with any of the appliances, remedies would be suggested in the certificate.

It is important to note that if your tenants own any gas appliances, they are required by law to get them inspected themselves. That is not the landowner's responsibility.

When Will You Receive your CP12?

Your gas safety certificate will be ready within 48 hours of your inspection. In many cases, you can obtain an online copy of the certificate if the company has an online option.

If there is a fault in your gas appliances, then your gas certificate will be issued when those appliances have been fixed. The gas-safe engineer will indicate those appliances as not safe to use and will usually disconnect them.

How Long is My Certificate Valid For?

Your CP12 is valid for twelve months. It is an annual requirement and can be done as early as ten months after the inspection. It means that you cannot wait for the looming deadline but can have your inspection done earlier.

This is to facilitate landowners who found it hard to meet the deadline and for gas-safe engineers who had to meet demand.

What is the Cost of a Gas Certificate?

The gas certificate cost can range between £34 and £150. To confirm the cost of your inspection, it is a good idea to call the company you are hiring from beforehand to get an instant quote .

It is good practice to call three companies to get an idea of the average cost in your area. The cost will vary depending upon how big the property is and what needs to be inspected .

The cost will also vary because of other factors, including the type of property, i.e., whether it is a commercial or residential property. Moreover, if you are renovating your property or building a new one, the cost may also be different compared to residential and commercial properties.

Get Your CP12 Today!

Now that you have all the information about what is a CP12 certificate, you can get your property inspected today. Scheduling an inspection well in advance will give you enough time to get any repairs done if there are any faults. It is always a good idea to place a reminder on your calendar, so you do not forget to schedule an inspection.

Approximately 34% of deaths in the UK are gas related, and your property's gas appliances must be safe to use. Landlords cannot pass on this responsibility to their tenants in the UK.

Do not waste any more time; schedule that inspection today!