Annual Boiler Service
An annual boiler service and a landlord's gas safety record are two different things, and knowing which is which matters for safety and for renters.
Photo: Asurnipal via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
A boiler service is a yearly safety and efficiency check carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer, and it is legally different from the gas safety record a landlord must give tenants each year.
Why servicing matters
Gas appliances and flues should be serviced in line with the manufacturer's instructions; where these are missing, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) recommends servicing at least once a year, unless a Gas Safe registered engineer advises otherwise. A service checks that the appliance is working safely and efficiently, and it also supports the terms set out in the manufacturer's warranty handbook. Only a Gas Safe registered engineer may legally work on gas appliances, and anyone can check an engineer's registration, and the categories of work they are qualified for, on the Gas Safe Register.
The gas safety record is a separate document
Landlords carry a separate legal duty regardless of servicing: an annual gas safety check by a Gas Safe registered engineer, due within 12 months of a new appliance or flue being installed and every 12 months after that. The resulting gas safety record must show the appliance and flue checked, the date, the engineer's name and registration number, the property address, and any defects found with the action taken. Landlords must give existing tenants a copy within 28 days of the check and give new tenants a copy before they move in, and must keep the record for at least two years. HSE treats it as a "living document" to which any follow-up repairs should be added, and it must be issued as soon as the check is complete, even if defects still need fixing.
Carbon monoxide: what to watch for
A poorly maintained or faulty appliance can produce carbon monoxide, a gas with no smell or colour. The NHS and HSE list the warning signs: headache, dizziness, breathlessness, nausea, tiredness, chest or muscle pain, confusion and problems with vision. If you suspect a gas leak or carbon monoxide, turn the appliance off if it is safe to do so, open windows and doors, leave the property for fresh air, and call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999; do not go back inside until you are told it is safe.
Book the boiler's yearly service in line with the manufacturer's handbook, and remember it is not a substitute for the landlord's gas safety record. Tenants who have not seen a copy of that record within the last year should ask their landlord for one.
