# Gas safety record: copy to the tenant in 28 days or before move-in, and keep it for two further checks

> HSE says give existing tenants the gas safety record within 28 days, new tenants before move-in. Dated cases, and how long an early-check record is kept.

- Page to cite: https://aeolookup.com/letting-agents/gas-safety-record-copy-to-tenant-28-days-new-tenant-before-move-in-keep-two-further-checks-worked/
- Publisher: AEO Lookup (https://aeolookup.com/)
- Section: Letting agents, Compliance and safety
- Published 16 October 2026
- Key fact: A check on 14 January 2026 needs its copy with existing tenants by Wednesday 11 February 2026 (14 January plus 28 days). For a property last checked on 1 November 2025, an early check on 1 September 2026 needs its copy to tenants by Tuesday 29 September 2026 and, on HSE's wording, kept until two further checks are done. A tenant moving in on 20 October 2026 must have the 1 September record before that day, not within 28 days.
- Sources: HSE, "Gas safety check records and what to keep" (hse.gov.uk/gas/landlords/gassaferecord.htm): copy to existing tenants within 28 days of the check being completed; copy to prospective tenants before they move in; keep records at least two years; early check up to 2 months before the deadline, treated as if carried out exactly 12 months after the previous check, record kept until two further checks have been carried out; list of what the record must contain. Read 16 October 2026.

Most agency diaries are good at the booking: the engineer is chosen, the tenant is told, the visit happens. The paperwork after the visit is where a file goes wrong. The certificate sits in an engineer's email, nobody sends it to the tenant, and months later a new tenant moves in with nothing. HSE's page on gas safety records is short and gives three separate clocks.

## What the HSE page says

On 16 October 2026 I read the HSE page "Gas safety check records and what to keep". It says:

- **Existing tenants:** "You must provide existing tenants with a copy of the gas safety check record within 28 days of the check being completed."
- **New tenants:** "You must provide a copy of the gas safety check record to prospective tenants before they move in."
- **Keeping records:** "You have to keep records for at least two years." Electronic copies are acceptable if they can be printed on request and are secure from loss and interference.
- **Early checks:** a check may be done "up to 2 months before the date the check needs to be carried out" and the original deadline is kept, as if the check had been carried out exactly 12 months after the previous check. The landlord must be able to show the timescales were met, and the record must be kept "until two further gas safety checks have been carried out".

The record itself must hold: a description and the location of each appliance or flue checked, the engineer's name, registration number and signature, the date each was checked, the property address, the landlord's or agent's name and address, any safety defect found and the action taken, and confirmation that the check included the examination the regulations require. The page mentions no penalty.

## Three worked cases

I count the day of the check as day zero. If your diary counts differently, count the earlier date to be safe.

| Case | Dates | Working | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Existing tenancy, routine check | Check 14 January 2026 | 14 January + 28 days | Copy with tenants by Wednesday 11 February 2026 |
| Early check on a managed flat | Last check 1 November 2025. Deadline 1 November 2026. Early check 1 September 2026 | 1 September + 28 days. Window opens 2 months before deadline | Copy with tenants by Tuesday 29 September 2026. Next check treated as 12 months after the 1 November 2026 deadline, so 1 November 2027 |
| New tenant after an early check | Record dated 1 September 2026. Tenant moves in Tuesday 20 October 2026 | The 28-day rule does not apply to a new tenant | Copy handed over before 20 October 2026, ideally at the signing |

This is our arithmetic. The next-due date in row two is our reading of HSE's "as if exactly 12 months after the previous check": the early check does not pull the next date forward. Check this against the HSE page before you rely on it in a diary.

## How long to keep the early-check record

For the property in row two, the 1 September 2026 record must stay on file until two further checks are done. If those are in autumn 2027 and autumn 2028, the 1 September 2026 record is kept to autumn 2028, well past the two years. That is the point most simple "keep it for two years" file rules miss. A retention rule of a flat two years deletes an early-check record too soon.

## A short routine for the file

1. On the day the record arrives, **send the tenant's copy** and log the date sent.
2. **Add the 28-day date** to the diary as the deadline, not as a reminder to think about it.
3. **Put the record in the tenancy pack** so a later new tenant gets the latest one before move-in: see [the new tenancy checklist](https://aeolookup.com/letting-agents/new-tenancy-checklist-letting-agents-england/).
4. **Mark early checks** so retention is "two further checks", not "two years".
5. **Work out the next due date** with [the compliance date tracker](https://aeolookup.com/letting-agents/lettings-compliance-date-tracker/).
6. **If the tenant would not give access,** follow [the three-attempt record](https://aeolookup.com/letting-agents/gas-safety-check-no-access-three-attempts-letters/).

## What I did not read

I did not read the full Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, the penalties for breach, the rules for tenants who sub-let or move out mid-term, what counts as providing a copy (post, email, portal), or the position in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. I also did not check how HSE treats a record that is lost.

Overlyft ![](https://aeolookup.com/img/d/ours-badge.png) builds AI staff who join your lettings team and do one task: when a gas record arrives, they log it, send the tenant's copy, set the 28-day check and the retention date, and flag any new tenancy that is missing its copy for a person to confirm.

This is general information, not legal or financial advice. Check the HSE source and take advice on your own case.

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Overlyft: https://overlyft.com/

General information for UK small firms, not legal, tax or financial advice.