UK commercial-landlord gas decision guide
Start with how the building and gas equipment are used—not a universal certificate name
A shop, rented flat, hotel, restaurant kitchen, commercial boiler and LPG installation do not automatically share the same legal check or record. Identify the people using each area, every appliance, the fuel and who controls the equipment before booking.
The direct answer
There is no single gas certificate for every commercial landlord
Maintenance duty—not an automatic Regulation 36 record
HSE says landlord gas-safety duties under Regulation 36 do not apply to appliances or installation pipework used exclusively in a non-residential part. Workplace and general health-and-safety maintenance duties can still apply.
Annual landlord checks can apply
Relevant appliances and flues provided for tenants, residents or guests can require annual checks and records. A boiler in a non-domestic area can remain relevant if it also serves residential accommodation.
Use a catering-specific scope
Restaurant, takeaway, pub, hotel or production-kitchen appliances require the relevant commercial catering work categories. A CP42-style record is commonly requested, but its appliance and safety scope must be defined.
Match the fuel and equipment categories
The record and engineer must match the actual boilers, plant, pipework, flues and controls. LPG also requires the supply, cylinders or tank, regulators and vapour pipework to be declared.
Why the old answer was changed
The former article said every commercial landlord needed a Commercial Gas Safety Certificate every 12 months. That was too broad. The correct route depends on the use of the premises, equipment served, workplace and accommodation duties, lease/control arrangements and the inspection requested.
Choose the inspection route
Match the premises and equipment before naming the record
| Property or equipment | Likely starting point | Important scope | Do not assume |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shop, office or warehouse with gas used only in the workplace | Workplace gas maintenance and an inspection or service record appropriate to the equipment. | Boiler, heater or plant categories; pipework, flue, ventilation, controls and the dutyholder's maintenance plan. | That Regulation 36 creates an annual landlord record for every non-residential appliance. |
| Rented flat or other residential accommodation | Annual landlord gas-safety check and record for relevant appliances and flues. | Appliances provided for the tenant, flues, installation pipework maintenance, record provision and known defects. | That a commercial lease or building name removes residential landlord duties. |
| Hotel, B&B, hostel or other guest/sleeping accommodation | Landlord gas-safety duties can apply to appliances serving guest accommodation. | Guest areas, boilers serving rooms, staff or other accommodation, and any separate catering or plant systems. | That a kitchen or plant-room record alone covers accommodation duties. |
| Restaurant, takeaway, pub, café or commercial kitchen | Commercial catering inspection and commonly requested CP42-style record. | Every catering appliance, pipework, flexible connections, restraints, extraction, make-up air, ventilation and interlocks. | That a landlord record or boiler-only engineer covers the cooking line. |
| Commercial boiler or plant room | Commercial gas inspection, maintenance or service record matched to the plant. | Fuel, input/rating, appliances, flues, ventilation, controls, pipework, areas served and operating conditions. | That the word "commercial" is a complete engineer work category. |
| Bulk LPG or cylinder-fed commercial site | Commercial LPG inspection with relevant appliance and supply competence. | Tank or cylinders, storage, regulators, isolation, vapour pipework, buried pipework concerns and every appliance. | That a natural-gas record is interchangeable or that the appliance is the whole LPG installation. |
| Mobile catering vehicle, trailer or stall | Mobile-catering LPG inspection and CP44-style route where appropriate. | Every appliance, cylinders, regulators, hoses, restraints, ventilation, flame safety, movement and declared unit use. | That a fixed-premises CP42-style record covers a mobile unit. |
| Mixed-use building | Separated or coordinated scopes for workplace, residential/guest, catering, plant and LPG systems. | Which appliance serves which area, shared supplies, ownership/control and whether the engineer holds every required category. | That one document title proves every duty and asset was covered. |
Non-residential premises
"No Regulation 36 check" does not mean "no gas-safety duty"
Keep gas fittings safe
HSE tells employers to ensure gas pipework, appliances and flues are regularly maintained. The interval should reflect duties, equipment, use, condition, manufacturer instructions and appropriate standards.
Check the exact work categories
For gas work in shops, restaurants, schools and hospitals, HSE says the person must be Gas Safe registered and qualified for that work. Check the card rather than relying on the words "gas engineer".
Ask what record will be supplied
A workplace may need a maintenance, service, commissioning, safety-inspection or client-specific record. Name the recipient's requirement and equipment rather than buying an undefined "commercial certificate".
Act on defects and gas escapes
Known or suspected unsafe equipment should not be used. A gas escape follows the emergency route, not an ordinary certificate booking, and the supply must not be restored until the issue is dealt with by a competent person.
Residential and guest accommodation
Trace which gas fitting serves which occupied area
List every use
Record shops, offices, kitchens, flats, guest rooms, staff accommodation, sleeping areas, communal areas and plant rooms. "Commercial property" is not enough detail.
Map appliances to areas
Identify which boiler, heater, cooker, water heater or plant serves each use. A boiler physically located in a workplace may still serve residential or guest accommodation.
Check ownership and provision
State who owns and provides each appliance, who occupies the area and whether the landlord, tenant, agent or contractor controls maintenance and access.
Separate the inspection scopes
Arrange the landlord, workplace, catering, plant and LPG checks that genuinely apply. Confirm whether these will produce one coordinated set of records or distinct documents.
Example: shop with a flat above
HSE says domestic gas duties apply to the flat. A boiler in the shop that also serves the flat can be a relevant gas fitting. A separate appliance used only by the shop is outside the Regulation 36 landlord check, although workplace maintenance duties can still apply.
Commercial catering
A catering kitchen needs its own appliance and ventilation scope
HSE says catering gas equipment, flues, pipework and safety devices must be maintained safely and inspected by a competent person. The interval can vary with the equipment, use and manufacturer guidance; HSE describes annual inspection as a reasonable general minimum, not a universal certificate rule for every commercial property.
Commercial LPG property
Declare the LPG supply as well as the appliance list
Cylinders or bulk tank
State cylinder quantities and location or the bulk-tank arrangement. Include the supplier, known isolation and any concerns about storage, access, damage or changes.
Regulators, valves and vapour lines
Describe first- and second-stage regulation, accessible pipework and any buried metallic LPG vapour pipework. The supply system should not disappear from an appliance-only request.
Boiler, catering, heating or specialist work
LPG is a fuel category, not a complete scope. The engineer must also have the relevant categories for the appliances, pipework or other work being requested.
Fixed building versus vehicle or trailer
A mobile catering unit has movement, cylinder, hose, restraint and ventilation considerations that differ from a fixed commercial kitchen or plant room.
Lease and control
Map responsibility asset by asset
What is retained?
List central boilers, landlord supplies, common pipework, flues, meters, risers and shared plant. State which occupied areas they serve and who controls access.
What has been installed or altered?
Record catering lines, heaters, production equipment, tenant pipework and any unapproved or later alterations. Ownership alone does not answer every safety or control question.
Who arranges and records work?
Review the lease, service-charge provisions, maintenance contracts and managing-agent instructions. Practical tasks should be clear and dutyholders should cooperate where responsibilities overlap.
Can you prove the full scope?
Keep appliance schedules, service records, inspection findings, safety actions, repairs, access refusals and the records supplied to relevant occupiers or recipients.
Inspection frequency
Set the interval from the duty and equipment—not one marketing phrase
| Situation | Frequency starting point | What can change it |
|---|---|---|
| Relevant landlord gas fitting serving rented residential or guest accommodation | Annual gas-safety check under the landlord duties. | Check-date flexibility rules, new appliances, tenancy timing, access and whether the fitting is relevant to the accommodation. |
| Commercial catering equipment | HSE says intervals vary; annual inspection is a reasonable general minimum. | Manufacturer instructions, equipment type, use, condition, environment, risk assessment and industry practice. |
| Workplace-only boilers, heaters or plant | A planned safe-maintenance interval appropriate to the equipment and applicable duties. | Manufacturer instructions, risk, dutyholder arrangements, use, condition, records and specialist standards. |
| LPG tank, cylinders, regulators or pipework | A site- and component-specific maintenance and inspection plan. | Supplier arrangements, written scheme requirements where applicable, installation condition, pipework material, environment and risk assessment. |
Avoid the wrong booking
Send this commercial-property gas brief first
Postcode and every use
Office, shop, warehouse, factory, restaurant, hotel, rented flat, staff accommodation, plant room, mobile unit or another use—include all that apply.
Tenants, guests, residents and workers
Say whether anyone lives, sleeps or stays as a guest, and which landlord, tenant, employer, agent or contractor controls each area.
Natural gas, LPG or both
Give the meter, bulk tank or cylinder arrangement, regulator and pipework information, supplier details where relevant and photos of the installation.
Every data plate and area served
List boilers, water heaters, catering equipment, heaters, laundry or specialist plant. State which areas each item heats, supplies or serves.
Who wants which document?
Provide the certificate or record name used by the insurer, managing agent, local authority, client or other recipient, without assuming the label defines the scope.
Access, deadlines and known faults
Send plant-room, roof, loading, parking, permits, trading hours, extraction/interlock details, previous findings, alterations and appointment deadline.
What an inspection cannot promise in advance
Availability, price and visit scope can be checked from the submitted details. A satisfactory outcome, defect-free installation, completed repair or certificate covering undeclared equipment cannot be guaranteed before inspection.
Check the completed record
The evidence should match the work that was actually done
- Premises and responsible party: the correct site, inspected areas and person arranging the work.
- Fuel and supply: natural gas, LPG or both, with relevant installation details where they form part of the agreed scope.
- Appliance schedule: every inspected appliance or item of plant, its location and identifying information.
- Checks and results: the tests, observations, safety devices, flue, ventilation, controls or other items required by the agreed scope.
- Defects and actions: unsafe findings, isolation, warning notices, limitations, inaccessible items and recommended remedial work.
- Engineer competence: registered business and engineer details, date, signature and work categories relevant to the inspection.
- Next action: maintenance, repair, reinspection, record distribution or another duty-specific follow-up.
Possible gas escape
Do not wait for a certificate appointment
HSE says that if a leak is suspected, turn off the supply if safe and immediately call 0800 111 999 for natural gas or the LPG supplier for liquefied petroleum gas. Do not turn the supply back on until the leak has been dealt with by a competent person. Evacuate and call 999 where there is fire, immediate danger or doubt.
Service areas
Regular work across London, Essex and Kent
Regular commercial and LPG work covers London, Essex and Kent. Enquiries in Hertfordshire, Surrey, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and Sussex can also be considered when the right trade is available. Other UK areas are considered by request, subject to the premises, fuel, appliance list, engineer categories, travel and appointment requirements.
Related gas routes
Continue with the service that matches the property
Commercial gas certificate
Start here for a defined inspection of commercial gas appliances, plant, pipework or related equipment.
Commercial gas engineer near me
Use the booking guide to match the premises, fuel, appliances, work categories, access and requested record.
Commercial gas certificate cost
See which site, fuel, appliance, access and evidence details affect a commercial gas quotation.
Landlord Gas Safety Record
Use the landlord route for relevant gas appliances and flues provided for tenants in residential accommodation.
Primary UK sources
Check the landlord and workplace distinctions at source
HSE: who needs landlord gas checks?Landlords, guest accommodation, annual checks and the example of a shop with a flat above.
HSE: gas safety for employersSafe maintenance, competent gas work, natural gas and LPG, ventilation and emergency action for workplaces.
HSE: maintaining catering gas equipmentCatering maintenance duties and inspection intervals based on equipment, use and manufacturer guidance.
HSE: commercial LPG legal frameworkBusiness responsibilities for LPG installations, risk assessment, pressure systems and work premises.
HSE: safe commercial LPG useTank, pipework, valves, installation records, maintenance and risk considerations for small bulk LPG sites.
Commercial landlord gas questions
Commercial landlord gas certificate FAQs
Does every commercial landlord legally need an annual gas safety certificate?
When do annual landlord gas-safety duties apply?
What applies to gas equipment used only in a non-residential unit?
Does a landlord gas-safety record cover a restaurant or catering kitchen?
Which record applies to commercial boilers or plant?
What changes when the commercial property uses LPG?
Can one gas record cover a mixed-use property?
Who arranges gas maintenance under a commercial lease?
Who can inspect commercial landlord gas equipment?
What details should I send before booking?
Need the correct inspection?
Send the property uses, fuel, appliance list and areas served
Upkeepone can check whether the enquiry involves workplace equipment, residential or guest accommodation, catering, commercial boilers, LPG or several scopes before confirming availability and a quotation. A document name alone is not enough to match the work.
Possible gas escapes must follow the emergency route above.
