Gas, electrics and fire safety: what your landlord must do
Landlords in England have safety duties that apply to a room in a shared house as much as to a flat. This guide summarises gov.uk's guidance on a landlord's safety responsibilities.
Gas
- Gas appliances and flues provided by the landlord need safety checks every year by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
- A new tenant must receive the current gas safety record before moving in. An existing tenant receives a copy within 28 days of the check.
Electrics
The landlord must make sure the electrical system is safe and that every appliance they supply is safe. Ask to see recent electrical safety paperwork when you view: see the viewing checklist.
- In covered homes, the fixed electrical installation must be inspected and tested by a qualified person at least every five years. Check the report’s next-inspection date.
- The report, usually an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR), must reach new tenants before occupation, existing tenants within 28 days of inspection, and prospective tenants within 28 days of a request.
- Required remedial or investigative work must normally be completed within 28 days, or sooner if the report specifies. Ask for written confirmation of completed work.
The electrical regulations have exclusions, including shared accommodation with the landlord or their family. Fixed-installation checks do not themselves certify every portable appliance; check the full electrical-safety guidance.
Fire safety
- For covered homes, at least one smoke alarm on every storey used as living accommodation.
- A carbon monoxide alarm in each room used as living accommodation containing a fixed combustion appliance, excluding gas cookers. This includes rooms with gas or oil boilers, not only solid-fuel appliances.
- Furniture and furnishings provided must be fire safe.
- Large HMOs must have fire alarms and extinguishers. See HMO licences for room renters.
The alarm guidance excludes some arrangements, including shared accommodation with a resident landlord. Licensed HMOs have similar requirements through their licence conditions. Check the official guidance for the property and agreement.
If something is missing
Ask your landlord in writing. If nothing happens, contact your council: see repairs in a rented room. If you smell gas, treat it as an emergency and follow HSE’s gas emergency advice rather than waiting for a landlord.
See also smoking and vaping in a shared house.
This is general information for England, not legal advice. See also how renting with us works.
Official GOV.UK guidance (checked 15 October 2026): landlord safety responsibilities; current smoke and carbon monoxide alarm requirements.
Gas-record timing and electrical report requirements checked 18 October 2026: HSE’s landlord gas duties and the electrical-safety guidance linked above. The earlier review date for unchanged alarm guidance is retained.