Property Compliance in 2024: Fire Safety, EICR and Gas Certificates Explained

Property compliance is not a one-off exercise — it is an ongoing legal obligation that every landlord must take seriously. In 2024, the core compliance documents required for a residential let in England are: an annual Gas Safety Certificate (also known as a CP12) issued by a Gas Safe registered engineer, an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) issued by a qualified electrician at least every five years (or every year for HMOs), an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) with a minimum E rating for most new tenancies, and appropriate smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. Failure to hold valid certificates is a criminal offence that can result in substantial fines and, in the case of the EPC and deposit protection, may prevent you from serving a valid Section 21 notice.

Fire Safety: Going Beyond the Basics

The Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (Amendment) Regulations 2022 strengthened existing requirements by mandating a carbon monoxide alarm in any room with a fixed combustion appliance (excluding gas cookers), and requiring landlords to repair or replace alarms when informed by a tenant that they are faulty. For HMOs and properties let to vulnerable individuals, fire safety obligations go considerably further: a full fire risk assessment must be conducted, emergency lighting and fire blankets may be required, and fire doors to individual rooms are standard. In supported living properties, the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 applies, treating the communal and shared areas as a workplace and placing a duty on the provider to appoint a responsible person for fire safety management.

Building a Compliance Management System

The most effective landlords treat compliance as a proactive system rather than a reactive scramble. Maintain a digital compliance folder for each property containing copies of all current certificates with their expiry dates, and set calendar reminders ninety days before each renewal falls due. Many property management platforms offer automated compliance tracking, which is particularly valuable if you manage a portfolio of several properties. If you let properties through Ark Housing Group's guaranteed rent scheme, our team handles the full compliance cycle — scheduling engineer visits, chasing certificates, and updating records — so you never face a compliance gap or an unexpected fine. Investing in robust compliance management is not just a legal requirement; it is the foundation of a sustainable and profitable property portfolio.