For commercial landlords and managing agents
Commercial landlord gas safety certificates
Arrange the right gas inspection for a let business property, with a clear equipment list, agreed access and a written record of the findings.
Start by telling us how the premises are used and who is responsible for the gas equipment. A shop, a tenant’s kitchen and a rented flat above the business should not be treated as the same booking.
We confirm the proposed checks and engineer availability against the property details.
Landlord and agent inspection enquiries
Tell us about the letting
Enter the full postcode in the location field. In “How can we help?”, describe the letting, natural gas or LPG, each appliance and the areas it serves. Include any residential or guest accommodation, known defects, access restrictions and the record requested. Have previous documents ready and ask how to share them: this form has no upload field. An enquiry does not reserve an appointment.
For several properties, identify the equipment and access contact for each address. Each proposed visit needs its own suitability and availability check.
Does a commercial landlord need a gas safety certificate?
There is no single answer based on the word “commercial”. The annual landlord check provisions in regulation 36 of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 apply to relevant rented residential accommodation. They do not make every business-only letting subject to an annual CP12.
Gas safety remains a responsibility in workplaces. Applicable duties, the lease, control of the installation and maintenance arrangements need to be considered together. A written inspection record provides evidence of the work performed; it is not a guarantee that every duty has been discharged.
Business premises only
For a shop, office or other business unit, identify the installed equipment and review the responsibilities agreed between the parties. Set the inspection and maintenance plan for that installation, including manufacturers’ advice and any insurer conditions.
Residential accommodation
A rented flat or other accommodation may bring separate landlord duties, including annual checks where regulation 36 applies. Use our domestic gas safety record page for a straightforward residential booking.
Mixed-use buildings
If plant serves both business and residential areas, describe the whole arrangement. HSE specifically identifies rented flats above shops and appliances serving hotel guest accommodation as situations requiring attention to landlord checks.
Sources: HSE residential and non-residential distinctions; HSE workplace gas guidance; HSE guidance on who needs landlord checks. This explanation concerns Great Britain; a request elsewhere needs the applicable local requirements checked.
Agree who does what before arranging the visit
Separate responsibility for maintenance from the practical job of booking an engineer. A landlord, agent and occupier may each need to act, especially where the landlord’s boiler serves equipment or areas controlled by a tenant.
- Identify the appliances, flues and pipework for which each party is responsible.
- Check the lease and management agreement for maintenance, inspection, access and record-sharing arrangements.
- Confirm who can authorise expenditure and any temporary interruption to gas use.
- Record who will receive the findings and organise any follow-up work.
These arrangements should support the relevant legal duties, not assume that a contract removes them. Where a lease is unclear or contested, ask your property adviser to establish the position. Upkeepone can quote for the agreed technical work, but an inspection does not determine a lease dispute.
Need help identifying the record before arranging access? Read the commercial landlord certificate decision guide. For evidence requested during a purchase, sale or lease transaction, see the commercial property inspection page.
Choose the checks for the installed equipment
“Commercial landlord certificate” describes who is asking, rather than a single inspection form. Specify the equipment and purpose first; the quotation can then identify the appropriate checks and documentation.
Landlord-provided heating
List boilers, water heaters and associated plant, including any shared systems. Our commercial boiler inspection page explains the heating route.
Tenant’s commercial kitchen
Ask the occupier for the cooking appliance list and operating hours. Route kitchen-specific work through commercial catering gas inspections rather than assuming a heating check covers cooking equipment.
LPG or pipework requests
Identify fixed commercial LPG equipment explicitly. If a contractor has requested a test of pipework, our gas test record guide helps distinguish that scope.
What the inspection should cover
For equipment accepted into the booking, the engineer determines the relevant checks of safe operation, safety devices, flueing, ventilation and installation condition. Fuel, appliance type and the work required must match the engineer’s qualifications. A business address alone does not establish the category of gas work needed.
Agree the limits of the inspection and any inaccessible areas. Servicing, repair work, parts, separate pipework testing, purging and specialist extraction assessments are not automatically included. Checks necessary to perform the agreed inspection safely must still be carried out.
For premises with several service needs, start with the commercial gas inspection overview. Unusual plant and industrial processes require an individual suitability review.
Prepare the property and the people involved
Before a handover
Send previous inspection and service records, known defects and details of recent alterations. Explain which appliances will remain for the incoming tenant and whether supplies have been disconnected or equipment left idle.
During an occupied visit
Arrange keys, tenant consent and access to the relevant equipment, meter and plant rooms. Discuss trading hours and any planned shutdown with the occupier. Confirm practical access arrangements before the engineer travels.
After the inspection
Keep the record with the correct property and equipment list. Make sure findings reach the person able to act on them, and record any agreed remedial work or further attendance.
Timing, cost and documentation
Provide the full postcode, premises use, fuel and appliance details so we can assess the quotation. Multiple units, shared systems, access restrictions, travel and working hours can affect the price and appointment options. Tell us about a handover or renewal deadline without assuming attendance is guaranteed by that date.
Ask the quotation to identify the report or record supplied, its delivery format and expected issue arrangements. If checks cannot be completed or defects are identified, the findings and limitations should be recorded. Any immediate safety action takes priority; repairs and a return visit may need separate agreement.
For checks falling under residential landlord duties, follow the relevant statutory record-sharing and retention requirements. Other records should be managed to meet the applicable maintenance, lease and insurer requirements.
Check the location and fuel together
Where we assess commercial landlord requests
For commercial landlord inspection enquiries using natural gas or LPG, our area coverage is:
Priority areas
London, Essex and Kent.
Other covered locations
Hertfordshire, Surrey, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and Sussex.
Other UK areas
Considered by request, after reviewing the installation and travel involved.
Attendance depends on postcode, installation, access, travel and appropriately qualified engineer availability. We assess the fuel, equipment and property uses before accepting the work; an area listing does not guarantee a visit or support for every installation.
Commercial natural-gas and LPG appliance servicing uses the same areas and attendance conditions, but servicing must be requested and agreed separately. Repair, installation, commissioning and specialist-system enquiries need their own support and attendance assessment.
For a portfolio enquiry, list each address and its equipment separately. Availability and the quotation need to be confirmed for each site.
Before arranging access
Questions from landlords and managing agents
Does every commercial landlord need an annual CP12?
No. The annual landlord gas safety check provisions in regulation 36 concern relevant rented residential accommodation. A property used only for business is not automatically subject to that same requirement. Workplace safety duties still matter, and the lease, equipment and maintenance arrangements need to be considered.
Who should book the inspection: landlord or tenant?
Establish who controls the equipment and what the lease and management agreement require. Name the person arranging access, approving expenditure and receiving the findings. If the legal allocation is disputed, resolve it with your property adviser; the inspection booking itself does not settle liability.
What if a shop has a rented flat above it?
Identify the flat separately and explain any shared boiler or supply. HSE confirms that domestic landlord gas safety duties apply to a rented flat above a shop. The commercial unit and the accommodation may need different inspection scopes and records.
Is tenant-owned equipment included?
Only when it is identified and included in the agreed inspection. List the owner or responsible party for each appliance, including equipment fitted after the lease began. Do not assume that checking landlord-provided heating also covers the tenant’s kitchen.
Can you inspect before a new business tenant moves in?
Send the intended handover date, previous records and details of any equipment removed, altered or left unused. We will assess the work and appointment options. A change of tenant is a useful point to review the installation, but it does not establish one mandatory certificate for every commercial letting.
Will the record be issued if defects are found?
The documentation should reflect the checks completed, limitations and findings, including defects. Where residential landlord checks apply, HSE says the completed record should be issued without waiting for repairs. Unsafe equipment may need to remain out of use. Repairs and any follow-up inspection must be agreed, and a satisfactory outcome cannot be promised before the checks.
How much will a landlord inspection cost?
A quotation needs the premises details, appliance list, fuel, access arrangements and the required work. Shared plant, several occupiers, restricted hours and additional servicing can change the scope. Confirm the total, VAT position and any separate attendance charges in writing.
Can one visit cover natural gas and LPG equipment?
Tell us about both fuels when enquiring. We need to check the installation details and availability of engineers qualified for each part of the work before confirming whether a combined visit is practical.
Put the inspection arrangements in place
Send the property details and explain whether you are the landlord, managing agent or business tenant. Include the person coordinating access and the reason for the inspection so we can assess a suitable scope before confirming the booking.
Coverage, quotation guidance and buttons reviewed: 26 October 2026.
