In this guide
- If your home has gas, a Gas Safe registered engineer must check every appliance and flue at least every 12 months. That applies to holiday lets as much as to tenancies, and for short stays you can display the record in the home.
- The rented-sector electrical rules do not cover holiday lets, but fire safety guidance in England expects the wiring to be inspected at least every five years, Scotland’s licence requires an EICR and appliance testing, and Wales’s future licence is expected to ask for certificates.
- Fit carbon monoxide alarms wherever there is a gas or solid fuel appliance, and do a simple legionella risk assessment. Most owners can do that themselves.
Gas: an annual check the law requires
If your home has gas appliances, this is the one safety check with no grey area. Regulation 36 of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 applies to anyone who lets a home for money under a lease of less than seven years or a licence, and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) says that includes rented holiday accommodation such as cottages, flats, chalets and caravans. A guest staying two nights is covered just as a tenant staying two years is. The rules apply in England, Wales and Scotland.
Three duties follow. You must keep every gas appliance and flue in a safe condition. You must have each appliance and flue checked by a Gas Safe registered engineer at least every 12 months. And you must keep a record of each check and make it available to the people staying.
Where guests stay for 28 days or less, you can display a legible copy of the latest gas safety record in a prominent place in the home, instead of handing one to each guest, with a note saying they can ask for their own copy. Keep each record for at least two years. You can book the check up to two months early and keep your original renewal date; if you do, keep each record until two further checks have been done.
The penalties are serious. HSE enforces these rules and says a breach could mean a substantial fine, a prison sentence or both. A current record on display is also the simplest proof that you have done your part.
What the gas engineer checks
A gas safety check asks one question: is each appliance safe to use? By law it must cover at least four things for every appliance and flue, and a good engineer will look at the safety devices too.
- Flue clears fumes safely
- Enough air for burning
- Gas pressure or heat input
- Appliance runs safely
- Safety devices work
- Faults written up
The record lists each appliance and where it is, any faults found and what was done, plus the engineer’s name, registration number and signature. Two points catch owners out. The annual check does not cover the pipework, so Gas Safe Register suggests asking the engineer to test the whole system for tightness and look over the visible pipes at the same visit. And a check is not a service, which follows the maker’s instructions and can include cleaning and replacing parts. Most engineers can do both in one visit.
If the engineer finds a dangerous fault, they will tell you and may turn the appliance off. Do not let guests use it until it has been repaired and passed.
Checking the engineer is genuine
- Get the licence numberAsk for the engineer’s seven-digit Gas Safe licence number when you book.
- Check the registerLook the number up on the Gas Safe Register website, or call 0800 408 5500.
- Look at the card on the dayThe front shows the licence number. The back lists the work the engineer is qualified to do.
- Match the qualificationsMake sure they cover your appliances, such as a boiler, a cooker or a gas fire.
- Read the recordCheck every gas appliance in the home is listed and no fault is left open.
Electrics: why short lets still need checks
The law here is less tidy, but the checks are still expected. The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020, which make landlords have the wiring inspected at least every five years, apply only where the occupier lives in the home as their only or main residence and pays rent. A holiday guest does not, so those regulations do not cover a short let.
Other rules fill the gap. In England, anyone who charges guests to stay is covered by the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, even for one night. The Home Office guidance for small paying guest accommodation says you must make sure your wiring has been checked by a qualified contractor, and that the installation should be inspected and tested at least every five years. Your fire risk assessment should look at the electrics too. Our fire safety guide explains the assessment.
Scotland is stricter. A short-term let licence requires an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) on the fixed wiring, done at least every five years or sooner if the electrician says so, and a portable appliance testing (PAT) report on appliances guests can use, with tested items labelled. Both must be kept in the home where guests can see them. In Wales, the law creating a licensing scheme for holiday lets became law in April 2026, and the scheme must start by March 2030 at the latest. The Welsh Government expects licensed homes to need gas and electrical safety certificates, but the detail will be set in regulations still to come. Our guides to short lets in Scotland and holiday lets in Wales cover both schemes.
Insurers may also ask when the electrics were last inspected after a fire. The practical answer is the same everywhere: get an EICR at least every five years and test the appliances you provide.
Reading an EICR
An EICR is a report on the condition of the fixed wiring: the consumer unit (the fuse box), circuits, sockets, switches and light fittings. The electrician tests the installation against the wiring standard, BS 7671, and gives each problem a code. The report is only satisfactory if there are no C1, C2 or FI codes.
| Code | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| C1 | Danger present, risk of injury | The electrician will usually make it safe before leaving. Take no guests until it is fixed. |
| C2 | Potentially dangerous | Book the repair now. Tenancy rules allow 28 days; with guests arriving every few days, aim for sooner. |
| FI | Further investigation needed without delay | Have it investigated promptly. It may hide a C1 or C2 fault. |
| C3 | Improvement recommended | Not a fail. Plan it in, perhaps alongside other work. |
Codes as described in the government’s electrical safety guidance for rented homes.
When the repairs are done, ask for written confirmation, such as a certificate for the work, and keep it with the report. That is what an insurer, council or fire officer will want to see.
Who can do the work
Use an electrician registered with a government-authorised competent person scheme, such as NICEIC or NAPIT. You can search for one on the Registered Competent Person Electrical register. In England and Wales, a registered electrician can also self-certify work covered by the building regulations, such as a new consumer unit or a new circuit, so you do not have to involve building control separately. In Scotland, the licensing guidance points to the Scottish Government’s guidance on who counts as competent for rented homes, so ask the electrician to confirm they meet it.
Appliances, alarms and water
Portable appliance testing means a competent person inspects and tests the plug-in items you supply: kettle, toaster, microwave, lamps, hairdryer, extension leads. It is a licence condition in Scotland and good practice elsewhere; the fire guidance for England advises regular checks of the electrical appliances you supply. Your tester will say how often to retest; in between, cleaners can watch for cracked plugs, frayed leads and scorch marks at every changeover.
Carbon monoxide alarms belong in every room with a gas or solid fuel appliance, such as a boiler, gas fire or wood burner. The Home Office fire guidance says they should be fitted in paying guest accommodation with these appliances. Scotland’s licence requires them, along with instructions telling guests what to do if one sounds, and Wales’s future licence is expected to require them too. Replace them at the end of their life.
LPG and oil count too. LPG appliances are covered by the gas safety rules in the same way as mains gas. Oil boilers are not, but they still produce carbon monoxide, so have yours serviced every year by an OFTEC-registered technician and fit a CO alarm nearby.
Legionella bacteria grow in still, lukewarm water. HSE says landlords must assess the risk, but for most homes a simple assessment is enough, and you can do it yourself without training. Routine testing is not usually needed, and the law does not require a legionella certificate. The controls are basic: store hot water at 60°C, keep cold water cold and keep water moving. The short-let risk is empty spells. HSE advises using outlets at least once a week, so after an empty week, run every tap and shower before guests arrive. Keep a short note of your assessment; Scotland’s licence requires one.
The checks at a glance
This is what applies to a typical short let: a whole home, let to paying guests. Smoke and heat alarms are covered in our fire safety guide.
| Check | How often | Who | England | Wales | Scotland |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gas safety check | Every 12 months | Gas Safe registered engineer | Required | Required | Required |
| EICR (fixed wiring) | At least every 5 years | Registered electrician | Expected in fire guidance | Recommended; future licence will require | Required |
| PAT (appliances) | As the tester advises | Competent tester | Recommended | Recommended | Required |
| Carbon monoxide alarms | Test regularly | You or your manager | Expected in fire guidance | Recommended; future licence will require | Required |
| Legionella risk assessment | Review when anything changes | You, or someone you hire | Expected under health and safety law | Expected under health and safety law | Required |
CO alarms where there is a gas or solid fuel appliance. Welsh licensing must start by March 2030 at the latest. Councils can add local conditions, so check yours.
A year of checks
The easiest way to stay on top of all this is to give each check a fixed date and keep every certificate in one folder, with the gas record on display. Here is how a typical year might run for a home with a gas boiler.
- Up to 2 months before the due dateGas safety check and boiler serviceBooking early keeps the same renewal date. Put the new record on display.
- Same monthAppliance testingBook the PAT test for a quiet week, or the same day, and label the items.
- Every changeoverQuick visual checksCleaners look for damaged plugs, frayed leads and anything scorched.
- Every monthTest the alarmsPress the test button on every smoke and CO alarm.
- After any empty weekFlush the waterRun every tap and shower for a few minutes before guests arrive.
- Once a yearReview your risk assessmentsFire and legionella, plus anything that has changed at the home.
- Every 5 yearsEICRSooner if the last report says so. Fix any C1, C2 or FI items before taking guests.
A good manager should track these dates, remind you before each one falls due and make sure the current records are on display and on file. If you run the home yourself, a shared calendar and one folder of certificates does the same job.
Questions owners ask
Does a boiler service count as the gas safety check?
Not on its own. A service is maintenance; the safety check produces the legal record for every gas appliance and flue in the home. Most engineers can do both at one visit, so ask for a landlord gas safety record as well as the service.
My home has no gas. What do I need?
No gas safety check, but the electrics then carry all the risk, so the EICR and appliance testing matter more. If there is an oil boiler or a wood burner, fit a carbon monoxide alarm and have the appliance serviced or swept every year.
My electrician says the next EICR is due in 10 years. Is that right?
Ten years is the usual interval for a home you live in yourself. For a let home, official guidance in England and Scotland says at least every five years, so use five, or the electrician’s date if it is sooner.
Do I need a legionella certificate?
No. HSE says health and safety law does not require landlords to obtain a legionella test certificate. You need a simple risk assessment, the basic controls and a short note of what you checked.
Do the rules apply if I only let the home a few weeks a year?
Yes. The gas safety duty and fire safety law apply from the first paying guest, even for a single night. A home let occasionally still needs an in-date gas record and working alarms.
- legislation.gov.uk: Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, regulation 36
- HSE: gas safety, landlords and letting agents
- Gas Safe Register: frequently asked questions
- GOV.UK: electrical safety standards in the private and social rented sectors, guidance
- GOV.UK (Home Office): making your small paying guest accommodation safe from fire
- gov.scot: short-term lets licensing scheme, guidance for hosts and operators
- gov.wales: licensing visitor accommodation in Wales
- HSE: legionella and landlords’ responsibilities
