Tenant will not give access for the gas safety check: the three-attempt record and the letters to send

If a tenant will not let the engineer in, you cannot force entry, and the duty to get the check done does not go away. What protects the landlord and the agency is proof of trying. HSE says its inspectors "will look for at least three attempts to complete the gas safety check", and it "strongly advises that a record be kept of all correspondence".

Free tool

Gas safety access letter maker

Fill in the tenant, the property and the date of each visit. The tool writes the first, second or third letter to send when a tenant has not given access for the yearly gas safety check.

Which letterLetter 1: after the first missed visitLetter 2: after the second missed visitLetter 3: after the third missed visit Tenant's name Property address Date of the first missed visit Date of the second visit (the new one you book in letter 1) Time slot for the second visit Engineer's firm and phone number Date the current gas safety record runs out Date you want the tenant to contact you by (letter 2) Date of the third missed visit Your name, agency, phone and emailDan Whitlock Harbour Lettings 01632 960000 repairs@harbourlettings.example

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• Each letter is dated the day of the visit it follows. Send it that day, by post and by the tenant's usual channel as well.
• Fit all three visits in before the record runs out. The check can be done up to 2 months early without changing the due date, and there is no extra time after it.
• Keep a copy of every letter with the engineer's note and a photo of the card left at the property. HSE looks for at least three attempts and a record of all correspondence.
• After the third attempt tell the landlord in writing and keep offering dates. Force must not be used to enter.

The rule this rests on: Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, regulation 36, and HSE guidance for landlords and letting agents on refused access. A draft to check and adapt, not legal advice.

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What HSE asks for

The check is due every 12 months on each gas appliance and flue the landlord provides. A landlord who misses it has to show that they "took all reasonable steps to comply with the law". HSE recommends two actions by name:

• leave the tenant a notice saying that an attempt was made, with your contact details;
• write to the tenant explaining that the check is a legal requirement and is for their own safety, and give them the chance to arrange their own appointment.

HSE adds that "you must not use force to enter the property", and that in the end "it would ultimately be for a court to decide if the action taken was reasonable". One HSE page says "at least three attempts" and another says "repeated attempts". Work to three as the floor.

There is no time after the deadline

Since 2018 the check can be done up to 2 months before it is due while keeping the original date, as our compliance date tracker shows. That window is the only slack. HSE's pages describe nothing that allows a check after the 12 months, so start early enough to fit three attempts in before the due date.

A timetable that fits three attempts

For a record that runs out on 1 November 2026, the early window opened on 1 September 2026. The spacing below is ours; HSE sets no intervals.

Three attempts are evidence, not a finish line. If the record lapses, keep trying and keep logging.

Three letters to copy

Letter 1, sent the day of the first missed visit:

Dear [name],

A Gas Safe registered engineer called at [address] on [date] at [time] to carry out the yearly gas safety check and could not get in. A card was left at the property.

The check is a legal requirement and is for your safety. It takes about [time] and costs you nothing.

We have booked a new visit for [date and time]. If that does not suit you, call [number] or reply to this letter and choose a time that does. You can also book directly with [engineer's firm] on [number].

[Name, agency, phone, email]

Letter 2, after the second missed visit:

Dear [name],

We tried again on [date] and could not get in. This is our second letter.

The law requires the gas appliances in your home to be checked every 12 months. The current record runs out on [date]. The check is there for your own safety and for the safety of anyone who stays with you.

Please contact us by [date] to choose a time. We can offer early morning, evening or Saturday visits: [options]. If something is making access difficult, tell us and we will work around it.

[Name, agency, phone, email]

Letter 3, after the third:

Dear [name],

We have now tried to carry out the gas safety check on [three dates]. We have not been able to get in, and we have had no reply to our letters of [dates].

We will not enter without your agreement. We are still required to keep trying, and we are keeping a record of each attempt.

Please call [number] today. If you smell gas at any time, call the gas emergency line on 0800 111 999.

[Name, agency, phone, email]

Send each letter by post and by the tenant's usual channel as well.

The log

One row per contact, kept with the property record:

Who is liable, new boilers, empty properties and records

Responsibility sits where the management contract puts it. HSE says the contract should state who arranges the checks and keeps the records. "If the contract specifies that the agent has responsibility then the same duties" apply to the agent as to a landlord. If your terms are silent, fix them. The duty cannot be passed to the tenant.

A new boiler needs its first check within 12 months of the installation date. HSE allows a one-off extension of up to two months for a new appliance, to line its date up with the other appliances in the property.

Between tenants, a record stays valid for twelve months from the check. HSE says that if a new tenancy begins within that period you can pass the same record to the new tenants, and they must have it before they move in. If an empty property may have been tampered with, HSE recommends another check before anyone gets the keys.

Once the engineer gets in, the record is issued when the check is complete, even if faults are found. Existing tenants get a copy within 28 days, by email if they are happy with that and on paper if they ask. Keep each record for at least two years, or until two further checks have been done if you use the early window.

HSE says a breach "could result in a substantial fine and/or a custodial sentence". The gas items sit beside the electrical and deposit dates on our 2026 compliance checklist.

Overlyft can set up an AI assistant that drafts the contractor booking and the tenant access request eight weeks before each gas date and reports open dates each morning. A person at the agency sends the letters and decides what happens next.

This is general information, not legal advice.