When tenants must get a copy
| Who | When |
|---|---|
| Existing tenants | Within 28 days of the check being completed |
| New tenants | Before they move in |
| Stays under 28 days | Display a legible copy in a prominent place in the property |
Can I email it?
Yes, HSE says you can give tenants an electronic copy if they’re happy to receive it that way and can access it. You must give them a paper copy if they ask. With your agreement, the gas engineer can also send the electronic record straight to the tenant.
Appliances in shared areas
Where a gas appliance isn’t in any room a tenant uses, you can display the record in a prominent place instead. It should say that any tenant can ask for their own copy and where to get it, and you must tell tenants at the start of a tenancy where the notice is and how to get a copy.
Keeping proof you sent it
The rules say when tenants must get the record, not how you prove it. These habits make it easy to show later, for example to a council or in a dispute:
- Send it by email as an attachment, not a link that can expire, and keep the sent email.
- Record the date you sent it next to the date of the check, so the 28 days are easy to see.
- For a new tenancy, send it before the move-in date and keep that email with the tenancy documents.
- If you hand over paper, ask the tenant to sign and date a note that they received it.
LandlordAhead does the first two for you: it emails the certificate to your tenant as an attachment and keeps a dated record of what was sent and when.
Don’t forget the PRS database
Once your property is on the Register your rental property service, you must update a changed or expired certificate, such as each new gas safety record, within 28 days. See what the service needs, and how long to keep each record.