This is the full picture: what is legally required, what prevents expensive failures, and what it realistically costs. It is written for landlords across Crawley, Horsham, Redhill, Reigate, Horley and the rest of West Sussex and Surrey.
Bookmark it and use it as your annual maintenance tracker. Each section says when the job is due, and the budget table further down gives typical costs for an average three bedroom home.
Legal requirements
These are not optional. Getting them wrong can mean fines or prosecution, and the consequences go further than that.
Gas Safety Certificate (CP12). Annual, by a Gas Safe registered engineer, covering all gas appliances. Copy to tenants within 28 days.
Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR). Every five years, or sooner if the report says so. Copy to tenants, and urgent issues remedied.
Smoke alarms. One working alarm on every floor, tested at the start of each tenancy. Replace batteries as needed in between.
Carbon monoxide alarms. Required in any room with a fixed combustion appliance, gas cookers excepted. Must be working at the start of the tenancy.
Energy Performance Certificate. The property needs a valid EPC that meets the current minimum rating for letting. Valid ten years. After major improvements, such as a new boiler, it is worth having the property reassessed so the certificate reflects the work.
Keep copies of every certificate somewhere safe and give tenants their copies when required. You will need them to hand if you ever have to serve notice.
Heating maintenance
Heating causes most tenant complaints and most emergency call-outs. Proactive maintenance is what stops the expensive breakdowns.
Annual boiler service. Essential for safety, efficiency and keeping the manufacturer guarantee valid. Best booked in summer, when demand is lower.
Bleed radiators in the autumn, before winter. Improves efficiency and prevents cold spots. Can be done during the service visit, or by the tenant if you leave clear instructions, such as our guide to bleeding a radiator.
Check system pressure. Should be 1 to 1.5 bar. Low pressure is a common cause of breakdowns, so it is worth a monthly look at the gauge. Show the tenant how to check it and how to top it up, since they will notice a drop before you do.
Powerflush every five to six years, or sooner if radiators are cold at the bottom, the water is discoloured or the boiler is noisy. A powerflush starts from £400, typically £400 to £780 for an average three bedroom home.
Check thermostatic radiator valves. They seize. A stuck TRV means a cold room and a complaint. Check them once a year, which is easily done during the service visit, and replace any that have seized. Working TRVs help with comfort and with running costs.
Plumbing checks
Water damage is among the most expensive repairs there is, and nearly all of it is preventable. Regular checks catch leaks and blockages while they are still small. Work through these once a year as a minimum.
- Look for leaks at every visit: under sinks, around toilets, at pipe joints and along any accessible pipework. Damp, staining or mould.
- Test the stopcock annually and make sure it turns easily. A seized stopcock is useless in an emergency, and that is exactly when you find out. Show the tenant where it is.
- Check taps and showers for drips and adequate pressure. Replace worn washers and descale showerheads.
- Check the toilet fills, seals and flushes properly. A running toilet on a metered supply costs real money.
- Check drains in sinks, baths and showers run freely, and clear slow ones before they block. Consider a CCTV survey on an older property.
Doing the annual checks in one visit
Most of the annual jobs above can be done in the same appointment as the boiler service and gas safety certificate: bleeding radiators, checking TRVs and system pressure, testing the stopcock and looking over the taps and toilets. One visit means one access arrangement with the tenant, less disruption for them, and a smaller bill for you than several separate call-outs.
Seasonal work
Spring and summer: annual boiler service, clean gutters and downpipes, check outside taps for frost damage, service any air conditioning, inspect roof and chimney, check window seals and locks, keep on top of the garden.
Autumn and winter: bleed radiators, test the heating fully, lag exposed pipes, check draught excluders, turn off and drain outside taps, clear leaves from drains, test smoke and CO alarms.
Book the service and CP12 in summer. Engineers are less busy, appointments come round faster, and you avoid the winter rush and the emergencies that come with it.
Between tenancies
When tenants change, run through these before the new ones move in.
- Gas safety certificate valid and copy provided before move-in
- Smoke alarms tested and working on every floor
- CO alarms tested in every room with a fixed combustion appliance
- EICR valid and copy provided
- EPC valid and meeting minimum rating
- Full boiler test, heating and hot water
- All taps and showers flowing with no leaks
- Toilets flushing, cisterns filling and seals intact
- Drains clear, with no slow drainage
- Stopcock location shown to the new tenant
- Boiler instructions provided, or the basics shown in person
That stopcock item matters more than it looks. A tenant who knows where the stopcock is will save you a ceiling one day.
Annual calendar
Spread across the year, the work never piles up. The months marked critical are the ones that cannot slip.
| Month | Focus | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| January | Plan the year, review expiring certificates | Planning |
| February to March | Check for frost damage, inspect pipework after winter | Inspection |
| April to May | Book the boiler service, clean gutters, spring property inspection | Maintenance |
| June to July | Complete service and CP12, general repairs | Critical |
| August | Service outdoor taps, mid-year inspection | Planning |
| September | Test heating, bleed radiators, check TRVs | Critical |
| October | Clear drains, lag pipes, winter preparation | Maintenance |
| November | Test smoke and CO alarms, final winter checks | Critical |
| December | Remind tenants of emergency contacts, review the year | Planning |
What to budget
For an average three bedroom property, per year:
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Gas Safety Certificate | £80 to £170 |
| Annual boiler service | £105 to £150 |
| Minor repairs allowance | £200 to £400 |
| Alarm batteries | £20 to £40 |
| EICR, averaged over five years | £30 to £60 |
| Annual total | £425 to £820 |
Major work such as a boiler replacement or a serious leak sits outside this, and every figure moves with the size and condition of the property.
Proactive maintenance typically costs thirty to fifty percent less than reactive emergency repair, and that is before accounting for void periods and tenant goodwill.
When the boiler is getting old
If a rental property has a boiler over eight years old, it may be costing more than the replacement would. A new boiler installation can bring your overall costs down in four ways.
Insurance. Newer boilers with warranties are lower risk. Removing loft tanks by converting to a combi eliminates a significant leak risk that insurers price in.
Boiler cover. A manufacturer warranty of five to ten years often makes separate boiler cover redundant, which is a meaningful annual saving per property.
Fewer components. A modern combi has far fewer parts than an old gravity system. No tanks, no separate cylinder, fewer things to fail.
EPC rating. A new efficient boiler improves the rating, which matters given tightening minimum energy standards for rentals.
Our landlord tax guide covers the wider financial case for a new boiler, including how the cost is treated against rental income.
Frequently asked
What happens if I do not have valid certificates?
A missing or expired gas safety certificate is a criminal offence, with fines and potential prosecution, and it can invalidate your landlord insurance. Lapsed electrical and energy certificates bring their own penalties. Keeping one calendar of due dates, and booking renewals before they expire, avoids all of it.
When is the best time to book the annual service?
Summer. Engineers are less busy, appointments are easier to get, and you avoid discovering a problem during the first cold week of the year when everyone else is calling too.
Can I combine the CP12 and the boiler service?
Yes, and you should. One visit means less tenant disruption and it costs less than booking two separate appointments. The service is also what keeps the manufacturer guarantee valid.