Compliance services we coordinate
Essex Certificate Services arranges the certificates and assessments landlords and letting agents in Chelmsford and Essex need to stay compliant. We work with qualified, registered and insured engineers and assessors for every service below — we coordinate the work and track your renewal dates; we don't carry out the inspections ourselves.
Each service below explains what it is, who needs it, the legal basis in plain English, and how we help.
Gas Safety Certificate (CP12)
From £69
- What it is
- A Gas Safety Certificate (often called a CP12) is an annual check of all gas appliances, flues and fittings in a rented property, carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer. It confirms the gas installation is safe to use.
- Who needs it
- Any landlord renting out a property with gas appliances — a boiler, gas hob, gas fire, or similar.
- Legal basis
- Required annually under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. The check must be carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
- How we help
- We arrange a Gas Safe registered engineer to carry out your gas safety check and issue your certificate, then track the renewal date and remind you before next year's check is due.
EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report)
From £109 (1-bed) / £139 (2-bed) / £169 (3-bed)
- What it is
- An EICR is an inspection of a property's fixed electrical installation — wiring, sockets, the consumer unit (fuse box) and similar — to check it's safe. “EICR” stands for Electrical Installation Condition Report.
- Who needs it
- Any landlord renting out a property in England.
- Legal basis
- Required at least every 5 years (or sooner at a change of tenancy, where applicable) under the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020.
- How we help
- We arrange a qualified, registered electrician to inspect your property's electrics and issue your EICR. If the report flags a fault (e.g. a C1 or C2 finding), we coordinate getting it fixed — the inspection and certificate cost is separate from any remedial work needed, which is quoted once the fault is known.
EPC (Energy Performance Certificate)
From £95
- What it is
- An EPC rates a property's energy efficiency on a scale, with recommendations for improving it. “EPC” stands for Energy Performance Certificate.
- Who needs it
- Any landlord letting a property, or anyone marketing a property for sale or rent.
- Legal basis
- An EPC is valid for 10 years and is required to market or let a property. Minimum energy efficiency rating requirements for rented properties are currently subject to government reform — please check gov.uk for the current minimum rating requirement, as this is a moving target.
- How we help
- We arrange a qualified domestic energy assessor to visit your property and issue your EPC, then track the 10-year renewal date for you.
Legionella Risk Assessment
From £119
- What it is
- A Legionella Risk Assessment looks at a property's water system (tanks, pipework, taps, showers) to assess the risk of Legionella bacteria, which can cause a serious lung infection if water systems aren't managed properly.
- Who needs it
- Any landlord renting out a property — recommended for all rented properties, with particular attention where a property has had low water usage (e.g. between tenancies) or an unusual water system.
- Legal basis
- There's no fixed legal renewal interval for a Legionella Risk Assessment, but landlords have a duty of care under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, supported by HSE ACOP L8 guidance. Good practice is to review it periodically and after any change to the water system.
- How we help
- We arrange a qualified assessor to carry out your Legionella Risk Assessment and advise on any sensible precautions, as part of meeting your duty of care.
Fire Risk Assessment
From £249
- What it is
- A Fire Risk Assessment identifies fire hazards and evaluates how well a property is protected — particularly relevant for shared housing and common areas (hallways, stairwells, shared kitchens).
- Who needs it
- Landlords of HMOs (Houses in Multiple Occupation) and any property with shared common areas.
- Legal basis
- Required for HMOs and buildings with common areas under fire safety legislation.
- How we help
- We arrange a qualified fire risk assessor to inspect your property, identify any issues, and produce your Fire Risk Assessment. If any remedial action is recommended, we coordinate getting it sorted — the assessment cost is separate from any remedial work, which is quoted once the findings are known.
Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Alarm Compliance
Included as part of our packages
- What it is
- A check that your property has the right number and type of smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) alarms, correctly fitted and working.
- Who needs it
- Any landlord renting out a property in England.
- Legal basis
- Required under the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2022 — at minimum, one smoke alarm per storey, and a CO alarm in any room with a fixed combustion appliance (such as a boiler or gas fire).
- How we help
- We can include an alarm compliance check alongside your EICR visit (at no separate charge within our packages) or arrange a standalone check, and flag anything missing or not working.
PAT Testing (Portable Appliance Testing)
From £59 (basic)
- What it is
- PAT Testing checks that landlord-supplied electrical appliances (kettles, toasters, lamps, washing machines, etc.) are electrically safe to use.
- Who needs it
- Landlords who supply furnished or part-furnished properties with electrical appliances.
- Legal basis
- Not a fixed legal requirement for most rented properties, but recommended good practice, and often required by buildings insurers as a condition of cover.
- How we help
- We arrange a qualified engineer to test and tag your appliances and provide a record for your files (and your insurer, if needed).
Asbestos Survey Coordination
From £209
- What it is
- An asbestos survey identifies whether asbestos-containing materials are present in a property, ahead of refurbishment or demolition work — particularly relevant for older Essex housing stock.
- Who needs it
- Landlords or investors planning refurbishment work on a property, especially older properties where asbestos-containing materials are more likely to be present.
- Legal basis
- Anyone planning refurbishment or demolition work has duties under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 to identify the risk of asbestos before work begins.
- How we help
- We coordinate a qualified asbestos surveyor to carry out a survey ahead of your refurbishment work, so you know what you're dealing with before contractors start.
HMO Licensing Support
See our HMO / Commercial Safety Package
- What it is
- Guidance and coordination support for the compliance side of getting or renewing an HMO (House in Multiple Occupation) licence from your local authority.
- Who needs it
- Landlords of qualifying HMOs — shared houses let to three or more unrelated tenants sharing facilities.
- Legal basis
- Required by your local authority for qualifying HMOs. Licensing thresholds and requirements vary by local authority — please check with your local council or gov.uk for your specific requirements; we can't confirm licensing thresholds on your behalf.
- How we help
- We help coordinate the compliance certificates a licence application typically needs (Gas Safety, EICR, Fire Risk Assessment, alarms) and flag what else to check with your local authority — this is coordination support, not a licensing application service.