On this page
- Does a boiler service come with a gas safety certificate?
- What is the difference between a service and a gas safety check?
- What does a gas safety check actually include?
- Which one do landlords legally need?
- Do homeowners need a gas safety certificate?
- Can you get a service and gas safety check on the same visit?
- Booking a service and gas safety check in Stoke-on-Trent
- Frequently asked questions
Quick answer
No, not automatically. A boiler service is maintenance of the boiler itself, while a gas safety check covers every gas appliance, the flues and the pipework and produces a gas safety record (CP12). Landlords are legally required to have the check each year; the service is recommended. A Gas Safe registered engineer can usually do both on the same visit.
Key takeaways
- A service and a gas safety check are two separate jobs with different paperwork.
- The service looks after the boiler; the safety check covers all gas appliances and flues.
- Landlords must have the check every year by law; the service is strongly recommended.
- Homeowners do not need a certificate, but a gas report is useful when buying or selling.
- Both can usually be done on one visit by the same engineer.
Landlords, buyers and homeowners often ask for a gas safety certificate when they mean a boiler service, or book a service expecting a certificate at the end. The two overlap, but they are not the same job, and the difference matters if you are letting a property. Here is how to tell them apart and what to ask for.
Does a boiler service come with a gas safety certificate?
No, a boiler service does not automatically include a gas safety certificate. A service is maintenance on the boiler, recorded on a service record. A gas safety check is a separate inspection of all the gas appliances, flues and pipework in a property, recorded on a landlord gas safety record. You need to ask for the check specifically.
The confusion is understandable. Both are done by a Gas Safe registered engineer, both involve checking the boiler burns safely, and both leave you with paperwork. But the purpose, scope and legal standing are different.
What is the difference between a service and a gas safety check?
A service keeps the boiler working well: the engineer cleans, inspects and adjusts it so it runs efficiently and reliably. A gas safety check confirms that every gas appliance and flue in the property is safe to use on the day. One is about looking after a machine; the other is about confirming a whole installation is safe.
| Boiler service | Gas safety check (CP12) | |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Maintenance, efficiency and reliability | Confirming safety on the day |
| What is covered | The boiler, its flue and controls | Every gas appliance, flue and the pipework |
| Cleaning and parts | Yes, components cleaned and inspected | No, it is an inspection and test |
| Paperwork | Service record and Benchmark entry | Landlord gas safety record |
| Legally required? | No, but needed for most warranties | Yes, every 12 months for landlords |
What does a gas safety check actually include?
For each appliance the engineer checks it is burning correctly and running at the right pressure or heat input, that the flue is working and removing combustion products, that there is adequate ventilation, and that its safety devices operate. The installation pipework is usually tightness tested too. Any defect is recorded, with action taken.
Because it covers every appliance, a gas safety check in a house with a boiler, a gas fire and a gas hob looks at all three. A boiler service would only cover the boiler. If you want to see what the service side involves in detail, our boiler service checklist walks through it.
Which one do landlords legally need?
Landlords are legally required to have an annual gas safety check under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, and to give tenants a copy of the record. A boiler service is not named as a legal requirement, but landlords must keep appliances maintained in a safe condition, and an annual service is the usual way to do that.
In practice, a landlord who only ever arranges a gas safety check will pass until something wears out, then face a breakdown mid-tenancy. Booking both together keeps the property compliant and the boiler reliable. The deadlines and record-keeping rules are set out in our landlord CP12 checklist, with full guidance from the HSE.
Do homeowners need a gas safety certificate?
No. If you own and live in your home, there is no legal requirement to hold a gas safety certificate. What you should have is an annual boiler service, and ideally your other gas appliances checked periodically too. The certificate is a landlord duty, not a homeowner one.
Where homeowners do sometimes need something similar is when buying or selling. Solicitors and buyers may ask about the condition of the gas installation, and a surveyor will often recommend a check. For that, we offer a home buyers and sellers gas report for £125, which looks at the gas appliances and installation and gives you a written report to share.
Can you get a service and gas safety check on the same visit?
Yes, and it is usually the most sensible way to do it. The engineer services the boiler, then carries out the safety checks on it and any other gas appliances, and you get both sets of paperwork. One appointment means one arrangement with the tenant, which letting agents in particular appreciate.
- Tell us how many gas appliances are in the property when you book.
- Make sure the engineer can reach the boiler, gas meter and every appliance.
- Have the previous gas safety record to hand if there is one.
- Make sure the tenant knows the gas and heating will be off for part of the visit.
Booking a service and gas safety check in Stoke-on-Trent
You can book a standard boiler service in Stoke-on-Trent for £90, and add a landlord gas safety certificate on the same visit. With spring move-ins on the way, now is a good time to line up checks on any properties changing tenants.
We cover the east of Staffordshire too, including boiler service in Uttoxeter and boiler service in Burton upon Trent. Call 07896 677083 and let us know what the property needs.
Frequently asked questions
Does a gas safety check mean my boiler has been serviced?
No. A gas safety check confirms the boiler is safe to use on the day, but it does not include cleaning or inspecting internal parts the way a service does. A boiler can pass a safety check and still be due a service, with a blocked condensate trap or worn parts waiting to cause a breakdown.
Will my boiler warranty accept a gas safety record instead of a service?
Generally not. Manufacturers usually require an annual service carried out to their instructions and written up in the service record. A gas safety record alone is unlikely to meet that condition, so check your warranty terms and keep the service record up to date.
Does a gas cooker need its own certificate?
There is no separate certificate for a cooker. In a rented property, any gas cooker the landlord provides is included in the annual gas safety check and appears on the same record. In an owner-occupied home, a cooker can be checked as part of a wider gas safety inspection.
Sources and further reading
Gasmaster Plumbing & Heating has served Stoke-on-Trent since 2005. Every article is written by our Gas Safe registered engineers (reg. 220932) from day to day work on boilers, heating and gas appliances across Staffordshire, Cheshire and Derbyshire.
