Letting a home in England comes with a short list of legal safety checks. Most are simple once you know what’s due when — the trouble usually starts when a renewal date slips. This page is the checklist; each item links to our full guide.
✅ The Checklist at a Glance
| Requirement | How often | Legal? |
|---|---|---|
| Gas safety certificate (CP12) | Every 12 months | Yes, if there are gas appliances |
| EICR (electrical report) | At least every 5 years | Yes |
| Smoke and CO alarms | Working at the start of each tenancy | Yes |
| EPC (energy certificate) | Valid for 10 years | Yes — minimum rating E |
| Legionella risk assessment | Review when things change | Yes — but no test or certificate needed |
| PAT testing | Your choice (often yearly) | Not by itself — appliances you supply must be safe |
| HMO extras | Varies | Yes, for HMOs |
🔥 Gas Safety Certificate (CP12)
- Every gas appliance and flue checked at least every 12 months by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
- Copy to existing tenants within 28 days; to new tenants before they move in.
- Keep each record until two further checks have been done.
- Book up to two months early and keep the same expiry date.
- Missing it can lead to prosecution by the Health and Safety Executive, with unlimited fines.
From £65 with us. More: what happens during the check · certificate expired — what to do.
⚡ EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report)
- The fixed wiring inspected and tested at least every 5 years (sooner if the report says so) by a qualified electrician.
- Copy to tenants within 28 days of the inspection.
- Any C1, C2 or FI items put right within 28 days (or sooner if the report says), with written confirmation to the tenant and the council.
- Councils can fine up to £40,000.
From £120 with us. More: EICR codes explained · EICR cost in London.
🚨 Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarms
- A smoke alarm on every storey used as living accommodation.
- A CO alarm in every room with a fixed combustion appliance — boiler, gas fire, wood burner (gas cookers are excluded).
- All alarms working on the first day of each new tenancy, and repaired or replaced when a tenant reports a fault.
- Councils can issue a remedial notice, then a penalty of up to £5,000.
We check the CO alarm during every gas safety check. Full rules: smoke and CO alarm requirements.
🌱 EPC (Energy Performance Certificate)
You need a valid EPC before you market the property, and tenants must be given a copy. It lasts 10 years. A rented home must currently be rated E or above unless an exemption is registered; letting an F or G property can bring a fine of up to £5,000.
FE Maintenance can do your EPC as well as your gas and electrical certificates: from £70 (1–3 bedrooms), £85 for 4+ bedrooms, or £60 when booked with a gas certificate or EICR visit. Ask for a quote.
💧 Legionella and PAT Testing
Legionella: landlords must assess and control the risk from the hot and cold water system. For most homes this is simple and you can do it yourself — keep hot water hot, cold water cold and water moving, and flush outlets in an empty property. There is no legal requirement for a legionella test or certificate.
PAT testing: there’s no specific law requiring private landlords to PAT test, but any appliance you supply must be safe. PAT testing is the usual way to show that, and many HMO licences, letting agents and insurers ask for it. From £65 per visit with us — see do landlords need PAT testing?
🏘️ Extra Rules for HMOs
- An HMO licence from the council where required — and its conditions (often PAT records and alarm servicing).
- A fire alarm system to the right grade and category for the building, kept in good working order and serviced — see HMO fire alarm requirements.
- Gas and electrical safety kept up to date, with certificates available to the council on request.
More in our HMO landlord guide.
🗂️ New: the Private Rented Sector Database
Under the Renters’ Rights Act, landlords will have to register each rented property on a new national database. Registration opens from 15 December 2026; for London the window is 15 July – 14 October 2027, at £65 per property per year. You’ll need your gas safety, electrical and EPC details to register — another reason to keep certificates in date and in one place. Not registering can mean a fine of up to £7,000, rising to £40,000 for repeat breaches. Full details: PRS Database guide for London landlords.
💷 Get Them Done Together
| Package | What’s included | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Bronze | Gas safety certificate | from £65 |
| Silver | Gas safety certificate + EICR | from £155 (save £30) |
| Gold | Gas + EICR + PAT testing (1-bed) | from £190 |
| Boiler service + gas certificate | Service and CP12 in one visit | from £120 |
Our prices are the total — no VAT added. See landlord packages or our letting agent rates.
🏆 Why Landlords Use FE Maintenance
- Gas Safe registered and NICEIC qualified, fully insured — every engineer works directly for FE Maintenance, no subcontractors
- Gas, EICR and PAT on the same day, certificates emailed the same day
- Repairs done by us at a fixed price agreed before we start
- Free online client portal — every certificate for every property in one login, with reminders before renewals. See how it works
We cover North, West and Central London, plus Potters Bar and Hatfield. Ask for a quote or call 020 8445 1303.
General information, not legal advice. Applies to England, as of October 2026, based on the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020, the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (Amendment) Regulations 2022, the Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property) Regulations 2015, HSE guidance on legionella and the Renters’ Rights Act.
Frequently Asked Questions
All Your Certificates in One Visit
Gas safety certificate, EICR and PAT testing on the same day. Gas Safe registered and NICEIC qualified, certificates emailed the same day and kept in your free client portal.
info@femaintenance.com · 171 Crescent Road, Barnet EN4 9RN