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Quick answer
The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 does not replace the landlord gas safety rules. You still need an annual gas safety check on every gas appliance, fitting and flue you provide, carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer, with a record given to tenants. What has changed since phase one began on 1 May 2026 is the wider tenancy framework: fixed-term assured shorthold tenancies have been replaced by periodic tenancies, section 21 “no fault” possession has been abolished, and landlords now rely on section 8 grounds. That makes keeping clean, dated compliance records more important than ever.
Key takeaways
- The annual gas safety check under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 is unchanged.
- Phase one of the Renters’ Rights Act took effect on 1 May 2026, moving tenancies onto an assured periodic basis and abolishing section 21.
- With section 21 gone, a missing gas safety record no longer affects a section 21 notice, but compliance still matters to enforcement and to any section 8 case.
- A national private rented sector database is due to go live for landlords from late 2026, and future rules may require safety information to be recorded.
- The extension of Awaab’s Law and the Decent Homes Standard to private rentals is coming later, with dates still to be confirmed.
What has not changed: your core gas safety duties
Regulation 36 of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 still requires landlords to:
- Have every gas appliance, fitting and flue they provide checked for safety every 12 months by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
- Give existing tenants a copy of the gas safety record within 28 days of the check, and new tenants a copy before they move in.
- Keep records of each check until two further checks have been carried out.
- Maintain the gas installation in a safe condition between checks, which in practice means regular servicing.
Our landlord gas safety certificate checklist covers the detail.
What has changed: the tenancy framework
From 1 May 2026, existing assured shorthold tenancies in England converted to assured periodic tenancies. Landlords can no longer serve section 21 notices; possession relies on statutory grounds under section 8. Rent increases follow a set annual procedure, and existing tenants had to receive a government information sheet by 31 May 2026.
Before the Act, failing to give a tenant a gas safety record could stop a landlord relying on section 21. That link has gone because section 21 has gone. It would be a mistake to read that as gas safety mattering less: local councils have stronger investigatory powers, and non-compliance remains a criminal offence enforced by the Health and Safety Executive.
Why records matter more now
With periodic tenancies and no fixed end date, tenants may stay for many years. Your compliance history becomes one long, continuous record rather than a series of short tenancies. Keep:
- Each gas safety record, dated, with the engineer’s Gas Safe number.
- Evidence that tenants received a copy (email, signed receipt or portal log).
- Service records and any remedial work invoices.
- Notes of access attempts if a tenant has not let you in; see tenant refusing access for a gas safety check.
The private rented sector database
The government’s roadmap says the private rented sector database will go live for landlords and councils from late 2026. Details of what landlords must record are being set through regulations. It is sensible to assume that being able to show up-to-date safety compliance quickly will become part of normal letting practice.
What is coming later
The Act allows Awaab’s Law, which sets deadlines for investigating and fixing hazards such as damp and mould, and a Decent Homes Standard to be applied to private rentals. The government has said the Decent Homes Standard will apply to the private sector in 2035, and the date for Awaab’s Law in private rentals has not yet been confirmed. Heating and hot water reliability is likely to feature heavily in both, so a well-maintained boiler is good preparation.
Separately, landlords in England and Wales will need to reach EPC C by 1 October 2030. We cover heating options in EPC C by 2030: heating upgrade options for landlords.
Book with Gasmaster
Need gas safety checks booked across your portfolio? Gasmaster Plumbing & Heating, Gas Safe registered (220932), provides landlord gas safety certificates across Stoke-on-Trent, Newcastle-under-Lyme and Biddulph. Book through our boiler service booking page.
Frequently asked questions
Do I still need a gas safety certificate under the Renters’ Rights Act?
Yes. The annual gas safety check requirement comes from the 1998 regulations, which the Act does not repeal.
Can I evict a tenant if I did not give them the gas safety record?
Section 21 no longer exists in England. Possession now relies on section 8 grounds; get legal advice on your specific case. Compliance failures can still lead to enforcement action.
Does the Act change who can do the check?
No. Only a Gas Safe registered engineer can carry out a landlord gas safety check.
Does this apply to lodgers?
Lodger arrangements are outside the new tenancy system, but gas safety duties can still apply. See lodgers and gas safety certificates.
Sources
- GOV.UK, “Implementing the Renters’ Rights Act 2025: our roadmap for reforming the private rented sector”
- Health and Safety Executive, gas safety landlords and letting agents (hse.gov.uk)
- Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, regulation 36 (legislation.gov.uk)
Related services
Abdul runs Gasmaster Plumbing & Heating and has worked on boilers, heating and gas appliances across Stoke-on-Trent since 2005. He is Gas Safe registered (reg. 220932), and these articles come from his day to day work in homes and businesses across Staffordshire, Cheshire and Derbyshire.
