HMO landlords in Liverpool face stricter consequences for gas safety non-compliance than single-let landlords. A lapsed CP12 can invalidate your HMO licence. Here is exactly what you need to stay compliant.
Houses in Multiple Occupation carry a higher occupancy risk than single-family lets. More residents, more independent use of gas appliances, and shared systems that no single tenant takes responsibility for all increase the potential for gas safety incidents. Liverpool City Council reflects this in its HMO licensing conditions, which make a valid gas safety certificate one of the mandatory requirements for any licensed HMO property.
Liverpool has one of the highest concentrations of HMO properties in the North West, driven by its large student population and the presence of two major universities. The city's housing enforcement team actively inspects HMO properties and gas safety compliance is consistently one of their primary checks.
Under the Housing Act 2004, a property is an HMO if it is occupied by three or more people forming two or more separate households and sharing facilities such as a bathroom, toilet or kitchen. A mandatory licence from Liverpool City Council is required for HMOs of five or more people over two or more storeys. Additional licensing applies to smaller HMOs in certain areas of Liverpool where the council has introduced selective licensing schemes.
Liverpool City Council operates selective licensing schemes in several areas of the city where smaller HMOs that would not normally require a mandatory licence must still be licensed. Check the Liverpool City Council HMO licensing pages to confirm whether your property is in a selective licensing area.
The gas safety requirements for HMOs are the same legal obligation as for single-let properties under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. However, the consequences of non-compliance are more severe because:
Every gas appliance in the HMO must be covered by the CP12, regardless of whether it is in a shared area or an individual tenant's room. This includes:
Properties with multiple individual gas supplies (for example, HMOs where each floor has its own boiler) require each boiler to be inspected and included on the certificate.
Since October 2022, regulations require landlords in England to provide a working carbon monoxide alarm in any room with a fixed combustion appliance, excluding gas cookers. For HMOs with multiple gas appliances across multiple rooms, this means a CO alarm is required in each affected room. The alarm must be in good working order at the start of each new tenancy.
As with the CP12 requirement, failure to comply can result in a fine of up to £5,000 from the local authority. Liverpool City Council includes CO alarm compliance in its HMO licensing inspections.
Portfolio landlords managing several Liverpool HMOs face the logistical challenge of tracking expiry dates, coordinating tenant access and maintaining records across multiple properties. We provide a complete portfolio gas safety service for Liverpool landlords:
We follow the Gas Industry Unsafe Situations Procedure on every inspection. An Immediately Dangerous appliance in an HMO will be disconnected before the engineer leaves. We provide a written report of all findings and a repair quote before any additional work is carried out. Your tenants are informed of any immediately dangerous situation in writing as required by the procedure.
A certificate cannot be issued until all Immediately Dangerous faults are resolved. If your HMO licence renewal is imminent, call us immediately as we can often attend within 24 to 48 hours and resolve common faults on the same visit.
Yes. A valid CP12 gas safety certificate is a mandatory condition of every Liverpool City Council HMO licence. Without it your application will not be processed. The certificate must cover all gas appliances in the property and be renewed every 12 months.
All gas appliances in the property must be covered by the CP12. If there are multiple boilers, all must be inspected and included. We inspect all appliances in a single visit and issue the certificate covering everything on the same day.
Liverpool City Council can revoke your HMO licence if a mandatory licence condition such as a valid CP12 is not maintained. Operating an unlicensed HMO is a criminal offence with an unlimited fine. Call us immediately if your certificate has lapsed as we can often attend within 24 hours.
Yes. We offer reduced rates from £70 per property for landlords with two or more properties. We coordinate all tenant access, issue all certificates the same day and provide a single invoice. Call 07399 676656 to discuss your portfolio.
Yes. Since October 2022, landlords in England must provide a CO alarm in every room with a fixed combustion appliance (excluding gas cookers). For HMOs with multiple gas appliances, this means alarms in each affected room. Liverpool City Council includes this in HMO licensing inspections.
Gas Safe registered. Our own engineers. Fixed prices. All Liverpool postcodes covered.