Gas leak in a rented home: your rights and what to do

A gas leak is a serious safety emergency. If you smell gas or think there is a gas leak in your rented home, you must act immediately. Here is what to do in an emergency, what your landlord's legal obligations are, and what to do if your landlord has not met their duty to keep gas appliances safe.

Key facts

• The 2024 to 2025 English Housing Survey found about 9% of homes in England, around 2.3 million, had a category 1 (most serious) hazard under the HHSRS. In the private rented sector the figure was 10%. English Housing Survey 2024-25, GOV.UK
• The same survey found about 15% of homes in England, around 4.0 million, did not meet the Decent Homes Standard. In the private rented sector the figure was 22%. English Housing Survey 2024-25, GOV.UK

What to do if you smell gas or suspect a leak

This is an emergency. Act immediately:

1. Do not turn any electrical switches on or off
2. Do not use your phone inside the property
3. Open windows and doors to ventilate the property
4. Turn off the gas at the meter if you know where it is and can do so safely
5. Leave the property immediately
6. Call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999, this line is free and available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
7. Do not re-enter the property until you have been told it is safe to do so

You should only call your landlord after the immediate emergency has been dealt with by the gas emergency service.

What are your landlord's legal duties regarding gas safety?

Landlords of privately rented properties have strict legal duties under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. These require a landlord to:

• Ensure all gas appliances, fittings, and flues provided with the property are maintained in a safe condition
• Arrange a gas safety check by a Gas Safe registered engineer every 12 months
• Give tenants a copy of the current gas safety certificate (called a Gas Safety Record) within 28 days of the check being completed, or before they move in if the check was done recently
• Keep records of gas safety checks for at least two years

Failure to carry out annual gas safety checks is a criminal offence.

What if my landlord has not given me a gas safety certificate?

Ask your landlord for a copy of the most recent gas safety certificate. If they refuse or say they have not had a check done, this is a serious breach of their legal duty.

You can report a landlord to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), which enforces the gas safety regulations. You can also ask the council's environmental health team to inspect.

If the gas appliances in your home have not been checked and you have suffered any harm, for example, carbon monoxide poisoning, this may give rise to a claim.

What if a gas appliance is broken or faulty?

A faulty gas appliance, for example, a boiler that does not work, a gas hob with a broken burner, or a fire that does not light properly, is a repair issue as well as a safety issue. Your landlord must repair gas appliances that they provided with the property. This obligation comes from the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985.

Report the fault to your landlord in writing and keep a copy. If they do not respond promptly, a gas appliance fault should be treated as an urgent repair.

What if there has been a gas leak and my landlord is now ignoring me?

If your landlord has failed to deal with a known gas safety issue, whether a leak, a faulty appliance, or a failure to arrange annual checks, you may have a housing disrepair claim. This is particularly serious because gas safety failures can have life-threatening consequences.

In addition to a civil claim, you can report your landlord to the Health and Safety Executive and to the council's housing enforcement team.

When should I contact Support for Tenants?

If your landlord has failed to maintain gas appliances safely, not provided a gas safety certificate, or failed to act after a gas fault was reported, call us.

Call us on 0800 030 4669. No upfront cost. You only pay if you win, and the fee comes out of the compensation, not your pocket. If you don't win, you pay nothing.

Sources

• Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 (legislation.gov.uk)
• Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, Section 11 (legislation.gov.uk)
• Awaab's Law: guidance for social landlords (GOV.UK)