A gas safety check and a boiler service are two different jobs. The safety check confirms that every gas appliance in the property, along with its flue, is safe to use. The service is maintenance on the boiler itself: the casing comes off, the inside is inspected and cleaned where it needs it, and the boiler is tested to make sure it is burning properly. Both have to be done by a Gas Safe registered engineer, and they are often booked together, which is where the confusion starts.
Which one you need depends on whether you live in the home or let it out. If you are a landlord, the gas safety check is a legal duty every twelve months, and the record it produces is what most people call a CP12. If you own your home, neither is a legal requirement, but most boiler manufacturers make an annual service a condition of the warranty. This guide sets out what each visit covers, who needs what, and how it works when we do both together for homeowners and landlords across Kirklees and Calderdale.
The short version
| Comparison | Gas safety check | Boiler service |
|---|---|---|
| What it looks at | Every gas appliance and flue in the property: boiler, cooker, hob, gas fire | The boiler, in detail |
| What it's for | Confirming each appliance is safe to use | Keeping the boiler working properly and catching wear early |
| Paperwork | A gas safety record (the CP12 for a rented home) | A service record |
| Landlords | A legal requirement every 12 months | Servicing to the manufacturer's instructions, usually yearly |
| Homeowners | Not required, available on request | Not required by law, but usually needed to keep the warranty |
What a gas safety check covers
A gas safety check is about whether each appliance is safe, not whether it is running at its best. On a Pickles Gas inspection, every gas appliance in the property is checked (the boiler, cooker, hob, gas fire or water heater), along with:
- Gas tightness test on the pipework
- Flue inspection and spillage testing
- Ventilation checked for each appliance
- Gas pressure and burner operation
- Safety devices tested
The findings go on a gas safety record. For a rented home that is the Landlord Gas Safety Record, the CP12, and the law sets out what it must show: each appliance and flue checked, the date, the property address, the landlord's details, any defect found and what was done about it, and the engineer's name, registration number and signature. We complete it on the day of the visit, so there is no waiting for paperwork.
What a safety check does not do is open up and clean the boiler. An appliance can pass and still be overdue a service.
What a boiler service involves
A service goes deeper into one appliance. On ours, the casing comes off, the internal components are inspected and cleaned where they need it, a flue gas analyser confirms the boiler is burning cleanly, the safety devices are tested, and the system pressure and controls are checked. It takes roughly 45 to 60 minutes, and you get a written service record at the end. That record is what a manufacturer will ask to see if you ever need to make a warranty claim.
The point of a service is to catch a worn part or a developing fault while it is still a small job, rather than when the boiler stops on a cold morning. If something does need attention, you get a plain explanation and a free written quote before any work is done. If it already has stopped, that is a boiler repair rather than a service.
Do landlords need a boiler service as well as a CP12?
The CP12 is the part you cannot skip. Under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, landlords must have every gas appliance and flue they provide checked by a Gas Safe registered engineer every twelve months. Existing tenants must be given a copy of the record within 28 days of the check, new tenants must have one before they move in, and each record has to be kept for at least two years.
The same regulations give landlords a separate duty to keep that gas equipment maintained in a safe condition. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) treats maintenance and the safety check as two different requirements. Its guidance is that appliances should be serviced in line with the manufacturer's instructions, or every year if those instructions are not available, unless your Gas Safe engineer advises otherwise. For most boilers in rented homes, that means an annual service as well as the annual check.
Two more points from the HSE guidance that catch landlords out:
- You can have the check done up to two months before it is due and keep the original renewal date. If you do, keep the record until two further checks have been carried out.
- Appliances that belong to the tenant are the tenant's responsibility, but HSE recommends including any flue connected to a gas appliance in your check.
Do homeowners need a gas safety check?
No. If you own and live in your home, there is no legal requirement to have a gas safety check or a boiler service. The annual service is still the one most homeowners should book: most manufacturers require it to keep the boiler warranty valid, and it includes a flue gas check on how safely the boiler is burning. If you also have a gas fire or cooker and want them looked at, a gas safety check covers every appliance, and we are happy to carry one out for your own reassurance. Just mention it when you book.
Can you have both done in one visit?
Yes, and for a rented home it usually makes sense: one appointment with the tenant and one set of paperwork for the year. Ask for both when you book and the service and the landlord gas safety certificate are done together, with the CP12 issued on the day. If a letting agent looks after the property, we can deal with them and invoice them directly, and arrange access with the tenant so you do not need to be there. We also offer a reminder before the next one falls due.
For homeowners it works the same way. Book a boiler service and add the gas safety check if you want the other appliances checked as well.
Booking before winter
Late autumn is when the heating goes from occasional to all day, and a boiler that sat quiet through the summer is suddenly doing the most work. If your service or certificate falls due over the winter, booking it now gets it done before the cold weather rather than in the middle of it. For landlords with a CP12 due in the next two months, the early-check rule above means it can be done now without losing the renewal date.
Gas safety checks and boiler services near you
Haydn is Gas Safe registered (number 962740) and based on the Kirklees–Calderdale border. Landlord certificates are carried out across the area, including in Huddersfield, Halifax, Dewsbury, Batley and Brighouse. Boiler servicing is the same, with local pages for Huddersfield, Halifax, Brighouse and Dewsbury. The full list of towns is on our areas page.
If you can smell gas, do not wait for a booking: ventilate the property, turn the gas off at the meter if it is safe to, and call the National Gas Emergency line on 0800 111 999. Once it has been made safe, our emergency callout service can carry out the repair.