Landlord safety records: gas, electrical and alarms

Start with the property and the nation

The summary here concerns England. Wales and Scotland have different rules, and requirements can depend on the property and tenancy. Confirm current guidance for the place you let rather than assume that one checklist covers every UK landlord.

Keep the property address, date, person carrying out the check and relevant document reference together. An inventory, a maintenance visit record and a formal safety record serve different purposes. Filing them together can be convenient, but one does not replace another simply because it carries a signature.

• Property and tenancy details
• Check date and competent person
• Formal document reference where applicable

Keep annual gas-safety records clear

In England, landlords need an annual gas safety check by a Gas Safe registered engineer. Give existing tenants a copy within 28 days and new tenants a copy before they move in. Keep gas safety records for at least two years.

A boiler service is separate from the landlord’s annual gas safety check. If both happen on one visit, make the records and outcomes clear. The JobForms gas safety site record can support visit notes but is not a replacement for a required landlord gas safety record.

• Annual gas safety check by a Gas Safe registered engineer
• Existing tenants: copy within 28 days
• New tenants: copy before moving in
• Keep records at least 2 years

File electrical results and actions separately

In England, the electrical installation must be inspected and tested at least every five years, with an EICR and a copy provided to tenants within 28 days. Check current official guidance for the property and any additional actions required by the report.

Keep observations and follow-up work identifiable. A contractor’s visit sheet is helpful for recording what was done, but a generic inspection template should not be presented as a compliant EICR or proof that all necessary remedial work has been completed. Use the formal report from the qualified person.

• Electrical inspection/testing at least every 5 years
• EICR and tenant copy within 28 days
• Clear references to observations and follow-up records

Record alarm tests at the handover

In England, provide a smoke alarm on every storey used as living accommodation and a CO alarm in any room with a fixed combustion appliance, excluding gas cookers. Check that the alarms work on the first day of a new tenancy.

Record each alarm’s location, type and test result rather than one general tick for the property. If something fails, keep the failed result and action taken visible. A tenant’s signature acknowledges the handover; it should not be used to suggest that the landlord’s obligations have moved to the tenant.

• Smoke alarm on each storey used as living accommodation
• CO alarm in rooms with fixed combustion appliances, except gas cookers
• Working alarms checked on the first day of a new tenancy

Use an inventory for condition, not certification

A check-in inventory records rooms, condition, meter readings and photos at the start of the tenancy. It is useful context for the handover but is not a gas-safety or electrical certificate. Keep evidence factual and avoid turning a condition rating into a claim about safety.

Use the free templates to make visit and handover records readable, then keep formal reports and current guidance alongside them. Review dates can be entered as scheduled form checks, but a reminder does not determine a legal deadline. General guidance is not legal advice: check GOV.UK and the relevant regulator before relying on a checklist.