CP12 for Multiple Appliances:
The Complete Guide

The One CP12 Per Property Rule

Under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, a landlord needs one gas safety check covering all gas appliances and installation pipework within a property. This means one CP12 per property per year — not one per appliance.

All appliances at the property are listed on the same certificate. The tightness test covers the whole installation, and each appliance gets its own section on the form.

This is where newer engineers sometimes get confused — the CP12 is a property-level document, not an appliance-level one.

What Counts as an Appliance?

A gas appliance is any device that uses gas as a fuel. Common appliances found in rental properties:

• •Gas boiler (combi, system, or regular)
• •Gas fire (open flue, balanced flue, or flueless)
• •Gas cooker or hob
• •Gas oven (separate from hob)
• •Gas water heater (multipoint or single-point)
• •Gas tumble dryer
• •Gas meter (not an appliance, but the ECV and pipework are part of the installation check)

Filling In Multiple Appliances

The CP12 has a repeating section for each appliance (Section 4 on most forms). For each appliance, you fill in:

• •Location in property
• •Appliance type
• •Make, model, serial number
• •Flue type
• •Flue flow test
• •Spillage test
• •Ventilation check
• •Operating pressure
• •Gas rate
• •Safety devices
• •Visual condition
• •Safe to use (yes/no)
• •Defects and remedial action

Number the appliances clearly (Appliance 1, Appliance 2, etc.) so there’s no ambiguity about which section covers which appliance.

The installation/pipework section (tightness test, ECV, bonding) is filled in once — it covers the whole property. The summary section covers all appliances: the installation is satisfactory only if every appliance is satisfactory.

Common Scenarios

Here’s how to handle the situations you’ll run into most often:

When You Need Separate Certificates

The one-CP12-per-property rule only applies when the property has a single gas installation. There are situations where you need multiple certificates:

• •Separate gas meters = separate CP12s (each supply is a separate installation)
• •Commercial and domestic in the same building = separate certificates if separate supplies
• •An HMO where each bedsit has its own meter = one CP12 per bedsit
• •A house converted to flats with individual gas supplies = one CP12 per flat

Landlord Duties: The 28-Day Rule

Under Regulation 36(6) of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, landlords have strict obligations around distributing the CP12:

• •A copy of the CP12 must be given to each existing tenant within 28 days of the check
• •New tenants must receive a copy before they move in
• •The landlord must keep a copy for at least 2 years
• •For HMOs, a copy must be displayed in a communal area
• •The certificate must be provided to the local authority within 28 days if requested

The Do’s and Don’ts

Do

• List every gas appliance in the property on the same CP12 — boilers, fires, cookers, dryers.
• Number your appliances clearly (Appliance 1, 2, 3) so there’s no ambiguity.
• Record disconnected appliances as disconnected — don’t just pretend they’re not there.
• Check the metering arrangement in HMOs — one meter per unit means one CP12 per unit.
• Use a continuation sheet if the form doesn’t have enough appliance sections. Never split across two CP12s.
• Issue the certificate to the landlord and the tenant — both must receive a copy.
• Record every appliance as safe or unsafe individually, not just an overall result.

Don’t

• Issue separate CP12s for each appliance at the same property — it’s one certificate per installation.
• Leave an appliance off the certificate because it was difficult to access. Record a limitation instead.
• Assume a capped pipe means no tightness test needed. If the supply is live, the pipework is part of the installation.
• Forget the gas fire behind the sofa. Check with the tenant about every gas appliance in the property.
• Mark the overall result as satisfactory if even one appliance has failed — it’s unsatisfactory.
• Let the landlord tell you to skip an appliance because ‘it’s never used’. If it’s connected, it gets checked.

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