Do holiday lets and Airbnb rentals need a gas safety certificate?

Who counts as a landlord for gas safety?

Under regulation 36 of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, a landlord is anyone who lets premises for people to live or stay in, for money, under a lease shorter than seven years or under a licence. HSE lists the accommodation the duties apply to, which includes:

• rented holiday accommodation such as chalets, cottages, flats, caravans and narrow boats on inland waterways;
• rooms let in bed and breakfast accommodation and hotels;
• rooms let in private households, so letting a room in your own home can bring the duties with it.

The length of each stay does not take the property out of the rules. HSE's guidance covers short-term lets of less than 28 days as well as longer lets. If an agent manages the property and the contract makes them responsible for gas safety, the same duties apply to the agent.

What a holiday let owner must do

• Keep every gas appliance, flue and pipe provided for guests in a safe condition.
• Have each appliance and flue checked for safety within 12 months of installation, then at least every 12 months, by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
• Keep the gas safety record until two further checks have been done.
• Use a Gas Safe registered engineer for any repair or maintenance on those appliances.

The check covers the appliances and flues provided for guests, such as the boiler, hob, cooker or gas fire. If an appliance in another part of the building serves the let, for example a boiler in the owner's part of the house, that is covered too.

Showing the gas safety record to guests

For a long let the tenant gets a copy within 28 days of the check. Holiday lets work differently: HSE says that for stays of less than 28 days you should display a legible copy of the gas safety record in a prominent place in the accommodation, such as inside the kitchen cupboard door or with the welcome information. Keep the original, or a digital copy, with your records.

Timing the check around bookings

Since April 2018, regulation 36A has let landlords have the annual check done up to two months before the due date and keep the original anniversary date. For a holiday let, that makes it easier to book the check on a changeover day or in a quieter month without losing time on the next certificate.

Carbon monoxide and smoke alarms

Alarm law is separate from the gas safety check, and which rules apply depends on the type of letting. A carbon monoxide alarm in any room with a boiler, gas fire or wood burner is a sensible precaution in any holiday let. Our guide to carbon monoxide alarm rules explains where the law requires one and where it should go.

Static caravans, lodges and LPG

Many holiday caravans and lodges run on LPG. The same landlord duties apply, but check that the engineer's Gas Safe ID card lists the right LPG categories for that type of installation, because qualifications vary. Our guide to checking a gas engineer is Gas Safe registered shows what to look for.

This guide is general information, not a substitute for an on-site assessment by a Gas Safe registered engineer. If you smell gas, call 0800 111 999.