Since 6 April 2025 the unfair commercial practices provisions of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 have applied to sales practices such as a heating engineer displaying a code logo they are not entitled to use, a false claim that an offer ends today, fake reviews, refusing to leave a home when asked and adding mandatory charges after a headline price.

What changed on 6 April 2025

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) explains in its guidance that the DMCC Act contains provisions to protect consumers from unfair trading and that these apply to commercial practices from 6 April 2025. They replace and update the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008, maintaining much of their scope and effect while adding new or more detailed prohibitions on fake consumer reviews and on “drip pricing”. The guidance lists 32 commercial practices that are unfair in all circumstances. The guidance sets out penalties for England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, so the rules are not confined to one nation.

Fake codes, trust marks and approvals

Several banned practices concern claims about credentials. The guidance bans claiming to be a signatory to a code of conduct when the trader is not, claiming that a code has an endorsement it does not have, displaying a trust mark or quality mark without the necessary authorisation, and claiming that a trader or product has been approved, endorsed or authorised by a body when that is false or the terms are not being complied with. Its examples include a heating engineer displaying the logo of an industry code they have not signed up to, and a plumber claiming registration with a recommendation platform when they are not registered. Checking a Gas Safe registration on the register, as explained in our guide to checking a Gas Safe engineer, remains the way to confirm gas competence. Our guide to TrustMark registration covers the other scheme installers may claim.

False urgency

Banned practice 7 is falsely stating that a product will only be available for a limited time, or on particular terms for a limited time, in order to elicit an immediate decision and deprive consumers of enough time to make an informed choice. The CMA’s example is a countdown clock that restarts when it reaches zero. The guidance adds that if the statement that an offer will end is true, and is not otherwise misleading, it is unlikely to be problematic. For boiler quotes, this is relevant to “price valid today only” claims. Our guide to comparing quotes like for like explains why time to compare matters.

Fake reviews

Banned practice 13 covers submitting or commissioning a fake consumer review, or a review that conceals that it was incentivised, publishing reviews in a misleading way, and publishing reviews without taking reasonable and proportionate steps to prevent fake or undisclosed-incentive reviews and to remove them. It also covers offering services to traders to submit or commission fake reviews.

Doorstep and pressure selling

Two banned practices are directly relevant to a home visit. One is creating the impression that the consumer cannot leave the premises until a contract is formed. The other is ignoring a request from a consumer to leave, or not return to, their home, except where justified to enforce a contractual obligation. The CMA’s example is a door-to-door salesman who keeps pitching on the doorstep after being asked to leave. The 14-day cancellation right for contracts signed at home is a separate protection, covered in our guide to cancelling a boiler installation contract.

Drip pricing and the total price

The guidance states that showing an initial headline price and then introducing additional mandatory charges as the consumer proceeds with a purchase, sometimes called drip pricing, is prohibited. Material information, including pricing, must be given clearly, in a timely way and in a way the consumer is likely to see it. For a boiler quote, this points to asking for a single itemised total that includes the mandatory work, rather than accepting a headline price that later grows.

Enforcement

The CMA announced on 7 April 2025 that the new provisions were in force and that it can now decide for itself whether consumer protection law has been infringed, without going through the courts, including through consumer redress and fines; it named aggressive sales tactics and hidden fees among early priorities. The guidance says breaches of any banned practice can attract civil action by enforcement authorities, resulting in compliance directions or monetary penalties of up to the higher of £300,000 or 10% of worldwide turnover, and that most banned practices, with limited exceptions including the fake reviews provision, are also criminal offences that can lead to fines or imprisonment. A homeowner who suspects a breach can follow the complaint routes in our guide to complaining about a boiler installation.

FAQs

Is this a new law for boiler sales?

It replaced the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 from 6 April 2025, keeping much of the earlier scope while adding specific rules on fake reviews and drip pricing.

Can a boiler firm say a discount ends today?

Only if true. The CMA says falsely stating that an offer is only available for a limited time to force a quick decision is banned, but a true statement that is not otherwise misleading is unlikely to be a problem.

What if a salesperson will not leave my home?

Ignoring a request to leave, or not return to, a consumer’s home is a banned practice except where justified to enforce a contractual obligation.

Does drip pricing apply to quotes?

The guidance prohibits adding mandatory charges after an initial headline price, so a quote should present the price for the whole mandatory job clearly.

The bottom line

The DMCC Act 2024 gives boiler buyers clearer protection against fake credentials, invented deadlines, fake reviews, refusal to leave a home and headline prices that grow. The practical response is to check registrations directly, ask for a single itemised price, take time to compare quotes and end a sales visit if pressured. This is general information, not legal advice on a specific sale.

Sources

This guide draws on the following primary sources, current as of 24 September 2026:

• Competition and Markets Authority, “CMA to boost consumer and business confidence as new consumer protection regime comes into force” (7 April 2025), GOV.UK
• Competition and Markets Authority, “Unfair commercial practices” (CMA207), GOV.UK

Related guides

Best Boiler Deals is an independent guide. We may earn a fee from some links; this never affects what we write. This article is general information, not regulated advice on any specific installation — always confirm the details with a Gas Safe registered engineer.

In Wales a landlord under an occupation contract of less than seven years must keep the service installations for space heating, water heating and gas in repair under section 92 of the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016, must ensure the home is fit for human habitation under section 91, and must ensure a carbon monoxide alarm is present in any room with a gas, oil or solid fuel appliance.

Two separate duties on the landlord

Welsh Government guidance explains that Part 4 of the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 places obligations on a landlord for occupation contracts made for a term of less than seven years, and that the repairing duty and the fitness duty do not apply to fixed term contracts of seven years or more. The first is the duty to keep the dwelling in repair under section 92. It extends to the structure and exterior and to the service installations in the dwelling, including those for the supply of water, gas or electricity, for sanitation, and for space heating or heating water. The second, in section 91, is the duty to ensure that the dwelling is fit for human habitation at the start of the contract and throughout it.

How the repairing duty works for a boiler

The landlord’s guidance says that a landlord must keep the dwelling in repair at all times, although there may be cases where the landlord does not know a repair is needed. Once aware, repairs must be carried out in a reasonable time and to a reasonable standard, including making good any damage resulting from the repair. The landlord cannot require the contract-holder (the Welsh term for the tenant) to contribute to the cost of a repair that is not the contract-holder’s fault. A boiler that has failed, or a heating system that no longer works properly, falls within the duty to repair space and water heating installations. The contract-holder should tell the landlord about the problem so the duty is triggered.

Fitness for human habitation and heating

The Renting Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) (Wales) Regulations 2022 set out 29 matters and circumstances to which a landlord must have regard in deciding whether a home is fit. The guidance for contract-holders gives an example of a boiler that cannot produce sufficient heat in the winter months as something a contract-holder may identify, and advises raising any concern with the landlord first. The landlord’s guidance lists excess cold and combustion products among the matters, and suggests a heating system that is safely installed, maintained and controllable by the occupant, with adequate ventilation and properly sized flues.

Carbon monoxide alarms

Part 2 of the 2022 Regulations sets three things a landlord must do for a home to be fit: install smoke alarms, carry out an electrical safety test at least every 5 years, and install carbon monoxide alarms where a gas, oil or solid fuel appliance is present. On carbon monoxide, the guidance says the Regulations require a landlord to ensure an alarm is present in any room with a gas, oil or solid fuel burning appliance installed. The guidance adds that the requirement does not replace duties under other legislation, including the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, and that a landlord who fails to meet it leaves the home unfit for human habitation. See our guide to carbon monoxide alarms with a new boiler in Wales for the building regulations requirement, which is separate.

What a contract-holder can do

The Welsh Government guidance recommends raising the problem with the landlord first. If that does not work, advice is available from the local authority, Citizens Advice and Shelter Cymru, who may be able to contact the landlord on the contract-holder’s behalf. A contract-holder may also ask the county court to decide whether the dwelling is fit for human habitation. The guidance says this may require evidence, possibly from an expert such as a builder or surveyor, and that if the court agrees the dwelling is unfit it can order the landlord to repair or correct the cause of the problem. Section 99 of the Act allows a contract-holder to apply for damages.

A caution on withholding rent

The guidance notes that occupation contracts usually say no rent is due for any day the dwelling is unfit for human habitation, but warns that a landlord and ultimately a court may not agree it is unfit. A contract-holder who withholds rent could end up in arrears and face possession proceedings, so advice should come first. Safety problems with a gas appliance should always go to a Gas Safe registered engineer, as described in our guide to checking a Gas Safe engineer.

FAQs

Does this apply to every rented home in Wales?

The guidance says the duties apply to occupation contracts made for a term of less than seven years and do not apply to fixed term contracts of seven years or more.

Who pays for a broken boiler in a rented home in Wales?

The landlord, unless the fault was caused by the contract-holder. The guidance says the landlord cannot place an obligation on the contract-holder to contribute to a repair that is not their fault.

Must a landlord fit a CO alarm?

Yes. The 2022 Regulations require a landlord to ensure an alarm is present in any room with a gas, oil or solid fuel burning appliance installed.

Can I stop paying rent if the heating does not work?

The guidance says occupation contracts usually contain a term allowing this where the home is unfit, but advises careful thought and advice, because a court may disagree and possession proceedings could follow.

The bottom line

A landlord in Wales has to repair heating and hot water installations promptly once aware of a fault and keep the home fit for human habitation, with a carbon monoxide alarm required in any room with a gas, oil or solid fuel appliance. Contract-holders should report problems to the landlord first and seek advice from the local authority, Citizens Advice or Shelter Cymru before taking court action or withholding rent. This is general information, not legal advice on a specific tenancy.

Sources

This guide draws on the following primary sources, current as of 24 September 2026:

• GOV.WALES, “Fitness of homes for human habitation: guidance for landlords”
• GOV.WALES, “Fitness for human habitation: guidance for tenants (contract holders)”

Related guides

Best Boiler Deals is an independent guide. We may earn a fee from some links; this never affects what we write. This article is general information, not regulated advice on any specific installation — always confirm the details with a Gas Safe registered engineer.

A private landlord in Scotland must ensure that the gas installation, the fixed space heating system and the hot water installation in a rented house are in a reasonable state of repair and in proper working order under the Repairing Standard, and a tenant can apply to the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland, Housing and Property Chamber, if the landlord does not deal with a faulty boiler.

The Repairing Standard and heating

Section 13 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006 sets out the Repairing Standard. A house meets it only if, among other things, the installations for the supply of water, gas, electricity and other fuel, for sanitation, for space heating by a fixed heating system and for heating water are in a reasonable state of repair and in proper working order. Installations outside the house count too, where they serve it and the owner is responsible for maintaining them. Scottish Government statutory guidance explains how landlords should comply, and the guidance says the extended standard applied from 1 March 2024. England and Wales have different rules; our guide to boiler problems in a rented home covers the position for England.

What counts as a fixed heating system

The guidance defines a fixed heating system as a permanent installation that is plumbed or hard wired and capable of maintaining 21 degrees Celsius in at least one room and 18 degrees elsewhere when the outside temperature is minus 1 degree. It should be safe, in good condition and in reasonable working order. Relying on plug-in or portable heaters is not acceptable except temporarily while repairs are carried out, and such periods must be kept to a minimum. The standard will generally be satisfied by central heating from a gas or oil boiler, electric storage heaters, a range cooker or a communal system, provided it covers all rooms other than a kitchen, store or utility. The system must also comply with any energy efficiency or heat in buildings standard in force in Scotland.

Gas appliances and the landlord’s checks

The guidance notes that landlords are responsible for the internal pipes from the meter to appliances such as boilers, and for making sure all gas appliances are checked and serviced annually. A landlord must keep gas fittings and flues in a safe condition, arrange an annual safety check on each appliance and flue, keep the record for at least two years, and give a copy to existing tenants within 28 days of the check or to a new tenant before the tenancy starts. Landlords are not responsible for appliances or flues that belong solely to the tenant, but are for appliances serving the home from elsewhere, such as a central boiler. The engineer must be Gas Safe registered, and any defect must be rectified by a registered engineer before the equipment is used again. It is an offence to use a gas appliance identified as unsafe. The wider legal duties are set out in our guide to who counts as a landlord under the Gas Safety Regulations.

Hot water

The Repairing Standard also requires a hot water installation in reasonable repair and working order. The guidance says it must provide an adequate supply for normal washing and cleaning, comply with the duty to minimise legionella risk and with the safety standards for the fuel used, and drain properly. It adds that hot water delivered to a bath or bidet should not exceed 48 degrees Celsius, which a thermostatic mixing valve can achieve.

Carbon monoxide detectors

The guidance says private landlords must ensure carbon monoxide detectors are fitted in all rooms with a fixed combustion appliance, such as a boiler, fire, heater or stove designed to operate on oil, solid fuel or gas, or a flue. Appliances used only for cooking are excluded. It describes this as a requirement of the Tolerable Standard. Tenants must also be told what to do if there is a smell of gas: open doors and windows, shut off the gas at the meter control valve and, if gas continues to escape, call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999.

If the landlord does not fix the problem

Enforcement lies with the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland (Housing and Property Chamber). A tenant who believes the Repairing Standard is not being met can apply to it for a determination, and a vulnerable tenant can ask the local authority, which has powers to apply on their behalf. Where appropriate the Tribunal issues a Repairing Standard Enforcement Order. Failing to carry out repairs required by such an order without reasonable excuse is a criminal offence. If the Tribunal finds the order has not been complied with it may also issue a Rent Relief Order restricting the rent payable until the order is met, and the guidance stresses a Rent Relief Order is not retrospective.

FAQs

Does a portable heater satisfy the Repairing Standard?

No. The guidance says relying on plug-in or portable heaters is not acceptable except temporarily while repairs are carried out.

Who is responsible for a boiler in a Scottish private let?

The landlord, where the boiler is provided under the tenancy or serves the house. The guidance says landlords are not responsible for appliances owned solely by the tenant.

Can I get rent reduced if the boiler is not fixed?

The Tribunal may issue a Rent Relief Order restricting rent if a landlord fails to comply with a Repairing Standard Enforcement Order, but it is not retrospective.

Does this apply in England?

No. The Repairing Standard is Scottish law. England and Wales have different rules on landlord repairs.

The bottom line

Scottish private tenants are protected by a Repairing Standard that expressly covers gas installations, a fixed heating system and hot water, with annual gas checks, carbon monoxide detection and Tribunal enforcement behind it. Portable heaters are not an acceptable long-term substitute for a working system, and a landlord who ignores an enforcement order commits an offence. This is general information, not legal advice on a specific tenancy.

Sources

This guide draws on the following primary sources, current as of 24 September 2026:

• legislation.gov.uk, “Housing (Scotland) Act 2006, section 13: The repairing standard”
• Scottish Government, “Repairing Standard: statutory guidance for private landlords, Annex D2: Installations for the supply of gas”
• Scottish Government, “Repairing Standard: statutory guidance for private landlords, Annex D6: Installations for space heating by a fixed heating system”
• Scottish Government, “Repairing Standard: statutory guidance for private landlords, Annex D7: Installations for heating water”
• Scottish Government, “Repairing Standard: statutory guidance for private landlords, 6. Repairing Standard – enforcement”

Related guides

Best Boiler Deals is an independent guide. We may earn a fee from some links; this never affects what we write. This article is general information, not regulated advice on any specific installation — always confirm the details with a Gas Safe registered engineer.

For a court claim in England and Wales over a faulty boiler installation, the Limitation Act 1980 generally sets six years from when the cause of action accrued for both contract and tort claims, with a possible three-year knowledge-based extension for latent negligence claims, an overriding 15-year long-stop for negligence, and postponement where the installer deliberately concealed a relevant fact.

Why time limits matter for boiler work

A poorly fitted boiler does not always show its faults straight away. A leak inside a wall, an incorrectly sized flue or a badly balanced system can take years to cause visible damage. Court time limits, known as limitation periods, decide how long after the event a homeowner has to start a claim, and they apply to court proceedings rather than to a manufacturer’s guarantee, which has its own conditions and deadlines. This guide covers the Limitation Act 1980, which the legislation.gov.uk text marks as applying to England and Wales. Personal injury claims follow separate rules that are outside its scope.

Six years for contract claims

Section 5 provides that an action founded on simple contract may not be brought after six years from the date on which the cause of action accrued. A homeowner’s agreement with an installer to fit a boiler is a contract, so a claim that the installer failed to do what was agreed, for example by not fitting the specified model or by not completing commissioning, is generally subject to this six-year limit. The clock is set by when the claim accrued, not by when the fault was noticed, except in the cases described below.

Six years for negligence and other torts

Section 2 sets the same six-year period for an action founded on tort, which includes a claim that work was carried out negligently. As with contract, the period runs from when the cause of action accrued. Where damage to the home only becomes apparent later, section 14A can change the position.

The three-year knowledge extension

Section 14A applies to negligence claims where the relevant facts were not known when the claim accrued. It allows the claim to be brought within six years from accrual or three years from the “starting date”, whichever expires later. The starting date is the earliest date on which the claimant first had both the knowledge required to bring an action and a right to bring it. Knowledge means the material facts about the damage, that the damage was attributable to the alleged act or omission, and the identity of the defendant. The section says knowledge that something amounted to negligence in law is irrelevant, and that a person’s knowledge includes what they could reasonably have found out from observable facts or with reasonable expert advice.

The 15-year long-stop

Section 14B sets an overriding limit for negligence actions that do not involve personal injuries: no claim may be brought after 15 years from the date of the act or omission alleged to be negligent, even if the damage has not yet occurred or the three-year period has not begun. In practical terms, the older the installation, the less room there is for a negligence claim over it, whatever the date of discovery.

Concealment, fraud and mistake

Section 32 postpones the start of the limitation period where the action is based on the defendant’s fraud, where a fact relevant to the claimant’s right of action has been deliberately concealed by the defendant, or where the claim is to relieve the consequences of a mistake. In those cases the period does not begin until the claimant has discovered, or could with reasonable diligence have discovered, the fraud, concealment or mistake. The section says deliberate commission of a breach of duty in circumstances where it is unlikely to be discovered for some time amounts to deliberate concealment. Under section 32(5), sections 14A and 14B do not apply to an action based on deliberate concealment, so the section 2 period applies instead.

Scotland and Northern Ireland

The Limitation Act 1980 is marked as applying to England and Wales only. In Scotland, the Prescription and Limitation (Scotland) Act 1973 provides that an obligation is extinguished if it has subsisted for a continuous period of five years without a relevant claim or acknowledgement, with the start date fixed by the Act and its schedules. Northern Ireland has its own Limitation (Northern Ireland) Order 1989. A homeowner in either nation should check the rules there rather than rely on the England and Wales figures.

Practical steps

Time limits are a long-stop, not a target. The practical route usually starts with raising the problem with the installer and, where relevant, the complaint routes covered in our guide to complaining about a boiler installation. Consumer remedies for faulty goods and poor workmanship are covered in Consumer Rights Act remedies for a new boiler and poor installation workmanship. If an installer has stopped trading, see insurance-backed guarantees.

FAQs

Is it six years from the installation date?

Section 5 and section 2 run six years from when the cause of action accrued. For latent negligence, section 14A can extend this by reference to when the claimant had the necessary knowledge.

What is the longest time limit for negligence over building or installation work?

For negligence claims not involving personal injury, section 14B sets an overriding limit of 15 years from the negligent act or omission.

Does the six-year limit apply to a manufacturer’s guarantee?

No. The Limitation Act governs court proceedings. A guarantee or warranty claim is governed by its own terms and conditions.

Does this apply in Scotland?

No. The Limitation Act 1980 applies to England and Wales. Scotland has a five-year prescriptive period under the Prescription and Limitation (Scotland) Act 1973, with its own rules on when it starts.

The bottom line

In England and Wales the Limitation Act 1980 generally gives six years to bring a court claim over faulty boiler work, in contract or negligence, with possible extensions for latent damage and deliberate concealment and a 15-year long-stop for negligence claims. Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate rules. This is general information, not legal advice; anyone close to a deadline should take advice promptly.

Sources

This guide draws on the following primary sources, current as of 24 September 2026:

• legislation.gov.uk, “Limitation Act 1980, section 5: Time limit for actions founded on simple contract”
• legislation.gov.uk, “Limitation Act 1980, section 2: Time limit for actions founded on tort”
• legislation.gov.uk, “Limitation Act 1980, section 14A: Special time limit for negligence actions where facts relevant to cause of action are not known at date of accrual”
• legislation.gov.uk, “Limitation Act 1980, section 14B: Overriding time limit for negligence actions not involving personal injuries”
• legislation.gov.uk, “Limitation Act 1980, section 32: Postponement of limitation period in case of fraud, concealment or mistake”
• legislation.gov.uk, “Prescription and Limitation (Scotland) Act 1973, section 6: Extinction of obligations by prescriptive periods of five years”
• legislation.gov.uk, The Limitation (Northern Ireland) Order 1989 (Northern Ireland has its own limitation rules)

Related guides

Best Boiler Deals is an independent guide. We may earn a fee from some links; this never affects what we write. This article is general information, not regulated advice on any specific installation — always confirm the details with a Gas Safe registered engineer.

Under regulation 36 of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, which extends to England, Wales and Scotland, the person who owes the landlord’s gas safety duties is the one entitled to the reversion or licensor interest in a home let for residential use under a lease of under 7 years, a periodic tenancy or a licence. A lease of 7 years or more, including many shared ownership leases, generally falls outside them.

Who the regulation treats as the landlord

Regulation 36(1) defines “landlord” by reference to the type of occupation. In England and Wales, where premises are occupied under a lease, the landlord is the person entitled to the reversion expectant on that lease, or who would be entitled to possession apart from any statutory tenancy. Where the premises are occupied under a licence, the landlord is the licensor, unless the licensor is itself a tenant of the premises, in which case it is the person who holds the reversion. In Scotland the landlord is the person entitled to the landlord’s interest under a lease. The regulations do not extend to Northern Ireland, which has its own gas legislation, covered in our guide to boiler work in Northern Ireland.

What counts as a lease

The regulation gives “lease” a specific meaning. It includes a lease for a term of less than 7 years, a tenancy for a periodic term and any statutory tenancy arising out of either. Several rules decide whether a lease is under 7 years. In England and Wales any part of the term before the grant is ignored. A lease that the lessor can end before 7 years have passed is treated as a lease under 7 years, but a lease is not treated as under 7 years if it gives the lessee an option to renew that brings the total term to 7 years or more. A mortgage term is not a “lease” for these purposes.

Licences and other occupation for money

“Relevant premises” are premises, or any part of premises, occupied whether exclusively or not for residential purposes, in consideration of money or money’s worth, under a lease or a licence. That wording matters for arrangements that are not a conventional tenancy, such as a room occupied under a licence agreement, because the licensor takes the landlord’s duties. Which arrangement actually applies in a given case depends on the agreement and the circumstances, and a landlord unsure of the position should take advice rather than assume the rules do not apply.

Which gas fittings are covered

A “relevant gas fitting” is any gas appliance or installation pipework installed in the relevant premises, other than an appliance the tenant is entitled to remove. It also covers an appliance or pipework that serves the premises and is installed in part of a building in which the landlord has an interest, or is owned by or under the control of the landlord. Fittings used exclusively in a part of the building occupied for non-residential purposes are excluded. A gas central heating boiler counts as a gas water heater under the definitions in regulation 2, so a landlord-owned boiler and its flue fall within the duty.

Long leases and shared ownership

The Health and Safety Executive’s frequently asked questions address shared ownership directly. If a shared owner’s lease is for longer than 7 years, the housing company does not have landlord’s duties under the regulations and the shared owner has the same responsibilities as a homeowner. Where the lease is shorter than 7 years, the housing company is classified as a landlord. The HSE adds that the contract between the two should clearly state who is responsible for domestic gas safety, which is why the lease terms are worth reading before assuming who arranges the annual check.

What the landlord must do

Where regulation 36 applies, the landlord must keep relevant gas fittings and flues in a safe condition. Each appliance and flue must be checked for safety within 12 months of installation and at intervals of not more than 12 months, by or through a member of a class of persons approved by the HSE, a record must be kept, and a copy must be given to each existing tenant within 28 days of the check and to a new tenant before they move in. Nothing the tenant does about maintenance counts towards the landlord’s duty, except for allowing access. The detail of certificates and timings is set out in our guide to landlord gas safety certificates, and repair responsibilities are covered in boiler problems in a rented home.

FAQs

Does a tenant’s own gas cooker count?

Regulation 36 excludes an appliance that the tenant is entitled to remove from the relevant premises, so a tenant-owned appliance is not a “relevant gas fitting”.

Are landlords in Scotland covered?

Yes. Regulation 36 extends to Scotland, where the landlord is defined as the person entitled to the landlord’s interest under a lease.

Is a 10-year lease covered?

Generally not, because the definition of lease covers terms of less than 7 years and periodic tenancies. The rules on options to renew, early termination rights and the grant date can affect the calculation.

Who is responsible in a shared ownership home?

The HSE says that if the lease is for more than 7 years the shared owner has the same responsibilities as a homeowner, and that the contract should state who is responsible.

The bottom line

Regulation 36 places gas safety duties on the person who lets residential premises under a lease of under 7 years, a periodic tenancy or a licence, covering landlord-supplied appliances, pipework and flues. Long leases, including many shared ownership arrangements, generally sit outside it, though the contract should state who is responsible. This is general information, not legal advice on a specific tenancy or lease.

Sources

This guide draws on the following primary sources, current as of 24 September 2026:

• legislation.gov.uk, “The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, regulation 36: Duties of landlords”
• legislation.gov.uk, “The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, regulation 2: Interpretation”
• Health and Safety Executive, “Domestic gas: frequently asked questions”

Related guides

Best Boiler Deals is an independent guide. We may earn a fee from some links; this never affects what we write. This article is general information, not regulated advice on any specific installation — always confirm the details with a Gas Safe registered engineer.

The current Decent Homes Standard requires a social rented home to have an efficient heating system, with a primary heating system reaching at least two rooms, as one part of its thermal comfort criterion; a reformed standard confirmed in January 2026, targeted to apply by 2035, requires a programmable primary heating system capable of heating the whole home instead.

The current heating requirement

Under the existing Decent Homes Standard, a home meets the thermal comfort element of the standard through a combination of an efficient heating system, effective insulation, and a minimum SAP energy rating of 35 or above, broadly equivalent to EPC band F. The primary heating system under the current standard needs to distribute heat to at least two rooms, a lower bar than heating the whole property, reflecting a standard largely unchanged in this respect since it was first introduced.

The thermal comfort criterion

Thermal comfort is one of several criteria a home has to pass to count as decent under the standard, sitting alongside requirements covering disrepair, modern facilities and services, and freedom from category 1 hazards under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System. A boiler or heating system that is inefficient, or that cannot reach at least the minimum number of rooms the current standard requires, can cause a home to fail the thermal comfort criterion even where the rest of the property is otherwise in good condition.

The reformed standard: whole-home heating

A reformed Decent Homes Standard, with its policy design confirmed by government in January 2026 following consultation, moves the heating requirement significantly further: the primary heating system will need a distribution system sufficient to provide heat to the whole home, not just two rooms, and will still need to be programmable by residents, allowing them to control timing and temperature themselves. A specific exemption from the programmable requirement continues for cases such as some supported housing and accommodation for older residents, where maintaining consistent heating for safety reasons outweighs resident control over timing.

How MEES fits in

Rather than keeping the older SAP-based thermal comfort test, the reformed standard folds thermal comfort into compliance with Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards, assessed through a combination of the home’s fabric performance and either smart-readiness features or an efficient heating system. For the social rented sector specifically, the associated MEES target is EPC C equivalent by 2030, meaning a social landlord’s boiler and heating decisions increasingly need to be judged against that combined efficiency and heating standard, not the heating system in isolation.

The timeline

The overall reformed Decent Homes Standard is targeted to apply from 2035, while the linked Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard for the social rented sector is targeted for 2030, several years ahead of the wider standard. This means the MEES-driven push toward more efficient heating and fabric performance is expected to land in social housing before the reformed Decent Homes Standard’s own whole-home heating requirement formally takes effect.

Who this currently applies to

The Decent Homes Standard has applied to social rented housing in England for years; the reform confirmed in January 2026 extends a version of the standard to the private rented sector as well, alongside updating the requirements themselves, rather than being limited to a technical update for social landlords only. Both sectors are affected by the reformed heating and thermal comfort requirements, though on the timeline set out above.

What this means for boiler replacement decisions

For a social landlord planning boiler and heating replacements, the reform shifts the practical target away from simply reaching an ageing boiler’s end of life and toward a heating system capable of reaching the whole home and meeting the linked energy efficiency standard, since a like-for-like replacement that still only heats two rooms would fail the reformed criterion even where it satisfies the current one. Programmes phased around the 2030 MEES date for social housing, ahead of the 2035 date for the wider reformed standard, give landlords a practical staging point for when heating upgrades need to be substantially completed.

FAQs

Does the current Decent Homes Standard require heating in every room?

No. It currently requires a primary heating system reaching at least two rooms; the reformed standard raises this to heating the whole home.

When does the reformed Decent Homes Standard take effect?

It is targeted to apply from 2035, with the linked Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard for social rented homes targeted earlier, for 2030.

Will the reformed standard apply to private rented homes too?

Yes. The January 2026 reform extends a version of the standard to the private rented sector alongside social housing.

Does every home have to have programmable heating under the reformed standard?

Programmable heating remains a general requirement, with a specific exemption for cases such as some supported housing and older residents’ accommodation where continuous heating is needed for safety.

Bottom line

The current Decent Homes Standard requires social housing to have an efficient heating system reaching at least two rooms; a reformed standard, with its policy design confirmed in January 2026 and targeted to apply by 2035, raises that to a programmable system capable of heating the whole home, tied to Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards targeted for 2030 in the social rented sector. This is general information, not advice on a specific property; a social landlord or local authority can confirm what currently applies to a particular home.

Sources

This guide draws on the following primary sources, current as of 22 September 2026:

• GOV.UK, “Consultation on a reformed Decent Homes Standard for social and privately rented homes”

Related guides

Best Boiler Deals is an independent guide. We may earn a fee from some links; this never affects what we write. This article is general information, not regulated advice on any specific installation — always confirm the details with a Gas Safe registered engineer.

Ofgem’s Boiler Upgrade Scheme guidance states that hybrid heat pump systems, meaning a combination of a fossil fuel boiler and a heat pump such as an air source heat pump, are not eligible for the scheme, whether the fossil fuel boiler is a separate retrofit unit or integrated into the same system as the heat pump.

Why hybrids are excluded

The Boiler Upgrade Scheme, administered by Ofgem, provides a grant toward replacing a fossil fuel or electric heating system with a low-carbon alternative, and its guidance is explicit that a hybrid arrangement combining a heat pump with a fossil fuel boiler does not qualify. This applies regardless of the specific configuration: a heat pump installed alongside a separate existing or new fossil fuel boiler, sometimes called a retrofit hybrid, is excluded, and so is a system with an integrated fossil fuel boiler component built into the same unit as the heat pump.

What does qualify

The scheme instead funds fully electric or biomass-based systems: air-to-water heat pumps, air-to-air heat pumps, ground source heat pumps, including water source heat pumps and those on a shared ground loop, and biomass boilers, the last of these limited to rural, off-gas-grid properties. What unites all of these eligible categories is the absence of any fossil fuel component within the funded system itself.

The grant amounts

Grant values differ by technology: £7,500 is available toward an air-to-water heat pump or a ground source heat pump, £2,500 toward an air-to-air heat pump, and £5,000 toward a biomass boiler. A higher rate of £9,000 applies to air-to-water or ground source heat pumps installed at off-gas-grid properties between July 2026 and March 2027. None of these figures apply to any part of a hybrid system, since the scheme’s eligibility rules exclude the whole arrangement, not just the fossil fuel boiler component within it.

Why a fossil fuel boiler in the system disqualifies it

The scheme’s underlying purpose is to support a genuine switch away from fossil fuel heating, so a system that keeps a fossil fuel boiler in place, even one working alongside an efficient heat pump and only handling a smaller share of the home’s heat demand, does not meet that objective in the way the scheme defines it. This holds even where the heat pump component of a hybrid system would, on its own specification, otherwise meet the scheme’s technical standards, because it is the presence of the fossil fuel boiler within the overall system, not the heat pump’s own performance, that disqualifies it.

What this means if you’re considering a hybrid

Anyone weighing up a hybrid system against a fully electric heat pump needs to factor in that the hybrid option will not attract Boiler Upgrade Scheme funding, which changes the relative upfront cost comparison significantly compared with an eligible fully electric or biomass system of similar capability. A hybrid system may still suit a particular property for other reasons, such as backup heating capacity during extreme cold, but that decision has to be made without the grant available to the fully qualifying alternatives.

Other conditions that still apply

Beyond the technology itself, a qualifying system under the scheme must be replacing an existing fossil fuel or electric heating system, must not have been commissioned more than 120 days before the application, and has to meet the scheme’s technical efficiency requirements, which an installer delivering an eligible system should be able to confirm and document as part of the application.

Checking before committing to a design

Because the exclusion applies to the system as a whole rather than to any single component, it is worth confirming a proposed heating design’s eligibility with the installer, and ideally checking the scheme’s own current guidance, before committing to a specific system design, rather than assuming a heat pump-led proposal automatically qualifies simply because a heat pump is the main component being installed. An installer proposing a hybrid design for genuine technical reasons, such as an older property with high peak heat demand, should be able to explain clearly that the grant will not apply to that particular configuration.

FAQs

Can I get a Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant for a heat pump if I keep my old gas boiler as backup?

No. A hybrid arrangement combining a heat pump with a fossil fuel boiler, in any configuration, is explicitly excluded from the scheme.

Does it matter if the fossil fuel boiler is a separate unit rather than built into the heat pump system?

No. The exclusion applies whether the fossil fuel boiler is a separate retrofit unit or integrated into the same system as the heat pump.

What grant is available for a fully qualifying air-to-water heat pump?

£7,500, the same rate that applies to a ground source heat pump, rising to £9,000 for off-gas-grid properties between July 2026 and March 2027.

Are biomass boilers eligible under the scheme?

Yes, at £5,000, but only for rural, off-gas-grid properties.

Bottom line

A hybrid system that pairs a heat pump with a fossil fuel boiler, however the two are configured, does not qualify for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme’s grant under Ofgem’s guidance; only fully electric heat pumps and, for off-gas-grid rural properties, biomass boilers are eligible, at grant amounts ranging from £2,500 to £9,000 depending on the technology and location. This is general information, not advice on a specific property; an accredited installer can confirm whether a proposed system meets the scheme’s current technical requirements.

Sources

This guide draws on the following primary sources, current as of 22 September 2026:

• Ofgem, “Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) – Property owners”

Related guides

Best Boiler Deals is an independent guide. We may earn a fee from some links; this never affects what we write. This article is general information, not regulated advice on any specific installation — always confirm the details with a Gas Safe registered engineer.

The Ecodesign for Energy-Related Products and Energy Information (Amendment) Regulations 2021 introduced right to repair spare parts obligations for specific product categories, including washing machines, dishwashers, refrigerating appliances, electronic displays, welding equipment and electric motors, but boilers and other space heaters are not among the products the regulations cover.

What the right to repair rules actually require

The UK’s right to repair regulations, which came into force on 1 July 2021, place a legal obligation on manufacturers of certain electrical appliances to make specified spare parts, along with repair and maintenance information, available for a set number of years after a model is discontinued, generally somewhere between seven and ten years depending on the product category. Most spare parts covered by the rules only have to be made available to professional repairers, though a smaller category, such as door hinges and seals or drain filters on dishwashers, must be made available directly to consumers as well.

Which products are covered

The regulations set out a defined list of product categories that fall within scope: household washing machines and washer-dryers, household dishwashers, refrigerating appliances, electronic displays, electric motors and variable speed drives, and welding equipment. Each category has its own specific spare parts list and repairability requirements attached to it under the regulations.

Why boilers are left out

Boilers and other space heaters are not included in the product categories covered by the 2021 regulations. That gap exists because the right to repair obligations were built on top of pre-existing Ecodesign product regulations for each category, and the specific Ecodesign requirements that apply to boilers were never extended to include the spare parts and repairability obligations added for other appliance categories in 2021, so no legal spare parts guarantee comparable to the one covering a washing machine or dishwasher currently applies to a boiler.

What this means in practice

In practice, a boiler manufacturer is not under the same legal obligation as a washing machine manufacturer to keep specified spare parts available for a set number of years after a model is discontinued, or to make repair information available on the same statutory footing. Spare parts availability for a boiler is instead a matter of the manufacturer’s own commercial policy and typical industry practice, rather than a right to repair guarantee with a defined minimum period set in regulation.

What still protects a boiler owner

The absence of Ecodesign spare parts rules does not remove other protections a boiler owner already has: the manufacturer’s own guarantee, any extended warranty purchased separately, and general Consumer Rights Act remedies for a boiler that develops a fault within a reasonable period after installation all continue to apply independently of the right to repair regulations. These routes are just not backed by the specific statutory spare-parts-availability guarantee that now covers products like washing machines and dishwashers.

The EU has gone further

Since the UK’s 2021 regulations were introduced, the EU adopted a broader Right to Repair Directive extending repair obligations across a wider range of products. The UK has not matched this broader EU measure, which means UK consumers currently have narrower statutory repair rights than EU consumers for products the EU directive covers but the UK’s 2021 regulations do not, a gap that includes boilers on both sides of the comparison.

Why this matters when choosing a boiler

Because spare parts availability for a boiler is not underpinned by the same statutory minimum that now applies to appliances like washing machines, asking a manufacturer or installer directly how long parts are typically kept available for a given boiler range, before buying, is a more useful question than it might otherwise be. Some manufacturers commit to longer voluntary parts-availability periods than others, and since there is no regulatory floor forcing a minimum period for boilers specifically, that commitment varies by brand and model rather than being guaranteed across the market.

FAQs

Does UK law guarantee my boiler manufacturer keeps spare parts available?

No. Boilers and other space heaters are not among the product categories covered by the UK’s 2021 right to repair regulations.

Which appliances does the UK’s right to repair law actually cover?

Washing machines and washer-dryers, dishwashers, refrigerating appliances, electronic displays, electric motors and variable speed drives, and welding equipment.

When did the UK’s right to repair regulations take effect?

1 July 2021.

If my boiler isn’t covered by right to repair rules, do I have any protection at all?

Yes, separately: the manufacturer’s guarantee, any extended warranty, and Consumer Rights Act remedies for faulty goods all continue to apply regardless of the Ecodesign spare parts gap.

Bottom line

The UK’s right to repair rules, in force since 1 July 2021, legally require manufacturers of products like washing machines, dishwashers and fridges to keep spare parts available for years after a model is discontinued, but boilers and other space heaters are explicitly outside that scope. A boiler owner still has the manufacturer’s guarantee, any extended warranty and Consumer Rights Act remedies, just not the specific statutory spare-parts guarantee that covers other appliance categories. This is general information, not advice on a specific product; a manufacturer can confirm its own spare parts policy for a particular boiler model.

Sources

This guide draws on the following primary sources, current as of 22 September 2026:

• legislation.gov.uk, “The Ecodesign for Energy-Related Products and Energy Information (Amendment) Regulations 2021”

Related guides

Best Boiler Deals is an independent guide. We may earn a fee from some links; this never affects what we write. This article is general information, not regulated advice on any specific installation — always confirm the details with a Gas Safe registered engineer.

Ofgem’s supply chain rules for the Energy Company Obligation require installers delivering ECO4 measures to be a TrustMark registered business, with the sole exception of installers of district heating connections not connected to a shared ground loop.

Why TrustMark sits behind government schemes

TrustMark describes itself as the Government Endorsed Quality Scheme, and it sits behind a range of government-funded home improvement schemes, including ECO4 and the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, as the registration route that lets an installer legitimately deliver work funded under them. Choosing a TrustMark-registered business means engaging with an installer that has been vetted against required standards and has committed to a defined level of customer service, rather than relying purely on the installer’s own claims about its competence.

The narrow exception

Under ECO4 specifically, the requirement to be TrustMark registered applies to installers of almost every measure funded through the scheme. The one stated exception covers installers of district heating connections that are not connected to a shared ground loop; outside that specific category, TrustMark registration is a condition of delivering ECO4-funded work at all, not an optional quality mark an installer can choose to skip.

PAS 2030 and PAS 2035 alongside TrustMark

TrustMark registration does not stand alone. ECO4 adopts a whole-house approach to energy efficiency improvement, set out in Publicly Available Specification PAS 2035:2019, and projects involving the kinds of measures PAS 2035 covers are expected to follow its domestic retrofit process, including the involvement of a qualified retrofit coordinator overseeing how measures are assessed, designed and installed together rather than in isolation. Insulation and heating measures delivered under ECO4 generally also require installer certification to PAS 2030, alongside the TrustMark registration itself.

What TrustMark registration actually checks

TrustMark’s role is to confirm that a registered business has been assessed against the standards relevant to the work it carries out, giving a homeowner a way to verify that an installer offering grant-funded work is entitled to deliver it, rather than simply claiming to be. This matters specifically in a market where scam operators have targeted homeowners with offers of free or heavily discounted boilers and insulation under schemes like ECO4, since a genuine claim to be delivering scheme-funded work should be checkable against TrustMark’s own register rather than taken on trust from the installer alone.

Why this matters if you’re quoted for grant-funded work

If a quote for boiler or heating work is presented as funded, in whole or in part, through ECO4 or a similar government scheme, the installer, or the wider supply chain arranging the funding, needs to be operating through TrustMark registration for that funding route to be genuine. An offer of scheme funding from a business that cannot be found on the TrustMark register is a signal to check the offer carefully before agreeing to anything, rather than assuming the funding claim is accurate simply because it has been made.

Checking an installer yourself

TrustMark maintains a public search facility allowing a homeowner to look up whether a specific business is currently registered and which scheme categories it is registered to deliver, which is the direct way to confirm a claim of TrustMark registration rather than relying on a certificate or logo shown by the installer itself.

What happens if an installer isn’t registered

An installer that is not TrustMark registered simply cannot legitimately deliver work funded through ECO4 or the other government schemes that sit behind the register, whatever it claims in its marketing. Where a homeowner has already agreed to grant-funded work and later discovers the installer is not actually registered, that is a strong signal the funding arrangement itself may not be genuine, and it is worth pausing the work and checking directly with TrustMark or the scheme administrator before allowing any installation to proceed, rather than after the event.

FAQs

Does every ECO4 installer have to be TrustMark registered?

Almost every one; the only stated exception is installers of district heating connections not connected to a shared ground loop.

Is TrustMark registration the only standard an ECO4 installer needs?

No. Measures following PAS 2035’s whole-house retrofit process also generally require PAS 2030 installer certification alongside TrustMark registration.

How can I check if an installer is really TrustMark registered?

TrustMark maintains a public search facility that allows a business’s registration status to be checked directly, rather than relying on what the installer states.

Does TrustMark registration apply outside government-funded schemes?

TrustMark registration is specifically the route required to deliver work funded under schemes such as ECO4 and the Boiler Upgrade Scheme; an installer doing privately funded work outside these schemes is not required to hold it in the same way.

Bottom line

An installer delivering ECO4-funded boiler, heating or insulation measures must almost always be TrustMark registered, with a narrow exception for certain district heating connections, and often needs PAS 2030 or PAS 2035 standards alongside it. Checking a business against TrustMark’s own public register is the direct way to confirm a scheme-funding claim before agreeing to any work. This is general information, not advice on a specific quote; TrustMark’s register is the authoritative check for a particular installer.

Sources

This guide draws on the following primary sources, current as of 22 September 2026:

• Ofgem, “Energy Company Obligation (ECO) – Supply chain”
• TrustMark, “Government Schemes”

Related guides

Best Boiler Deals is an independent guide. We may earn a fee from some links; this never affects what we write. This article is general information, not regulated advice on any specific installation — always confirm the details with a Gas Safe registered engineer.

An Insurance Backed Guarantee (IBG) is an insurance policy that backs the original workmanship guarantee an installer gives a homeowner, so that if the installing company ceases trading during the guarantee period, the homeowner can still claim against the insurer rather than being left with a guarantee from a company that no longer exists.

What an IBG actually covers

An IBG covers the product and workmanship included in the installer’s own written guarantee, subject to the insurer’s terms and conditions, for the length of that guarantee period, which commonly runs somewhere between two and ten years depending on the installer and the work involved. If the company that fitted the boiler stops trading during that period, the IBG is what allows the homeowner to make a claim against an insurer instead of against a company that has disappeared, effectively keeping the original guarantee alive in a different form.

How it differs from deposit protection

An IBG is a separate protection from deposit and stage-payment protection, which covers money paid before or during the installation if the company goes out of business before finishing the job. Deposit protection is about money already handed over for work not yet completed; an IBG is about the guarantee on work that has already been completed and paid for. Where both protections are provided by the same scheme, a homeowner typically receives two separate certificates, one for each type of cover, reflecting the fact that they protect different stages and different risks.

Why Consumer Codes require it

Consumer Codes that operate alongside certification bodies such as MCS place an obligation on their member installers to provide an IBG, on top of the workmanship guarantee itself, as a condition of membership. This is specifically intended to give homeowners a stronger level of protection than a written guarantee alone, since a guarantee from a company that no longer trades has no practical value without something backing it independently of that company’s continued existence.

When cover actually starts

Protection under an IBG generally applies once the installation has been completed to a satisfactory standard and the homeowner has made all agreed payments, rather than covering the period while work is still ongoing or part-paid, which is the gap deposit and stage-payment protection is designed to fill instead. This distinction matters because a homeowner disputing unfinished or unpaid-for work is in a different position, covered by a different product, from one whose completed installation later develops a fault after the installer has gone out of business.

Making a claim if the installer has gone

Where an installer has ceased trading and a covered fault later appears within the guarantee period, the homeowner claims directly against the insurer named on the IBG certificate issued at the time of installation, rather than trying to locate the defunct company. This is why keeping the IBG certificate, along with the original workmanship guarantee, invoice and commissioning paperwork, matters well beyond the installation date itself; without it, establishing which insurer and which policy actually cover a particular installation becomes far harder.

Checking your installer provides one

Before booking a boiler installation, asking the installer directly whether an IBG is included, which Consumer Code or certification scheme it is provided under, and requesting the actual certificate once the job is complete are reasonable steps that cost nothing and materially change what happens if the company later stops trading. Not every installer provides one as standard, so confirming it in advance, rather than assuming it is automatically included, is worth doing before signing a contract.

FAQs

Does an Insurance Backed Guarantee cover a deposit I paid before work started?

No. That is covered by separate deposit and stage-payment protection; an IBG covers the workmanship guarantee on completed, paid-for work.

How long does IBG cover typically last?

It generally matches the length of the installer’s own written workmanship guarantee, commonly somewhere between two and ten years.

Do all boiler installers have to provide an IBG?

Not automatically. Installers registered under Consumer Codes that work alongside schemes like MCS are typically required to provide one as a condition of membership, but this should still be confirmed directly.

Who do I claim against if my installer has gone out of business?

The insurer named on the IBG certificate issued at the time of installation, not the defunct installing company.

Bottom line

An Insurance Backed Guarantee underwrites a boiler installer’s own workmanship guarantee, so that a homeowner can still claim against an insurer if the installing company ceases trading during the guarantee period, separately from deposit protection covering money paid before the work was finished. Confirming an IBG is included, and keeping the certificate safe, is worth doing before and after any installation. This is general information, not advice on a specific guarantee or policy; the certificate issued for a particular installation confirms what applies.

Sources

This guide draws on the following primary sources, current as of 22 September 2026:

• HIES Consumer Code, “Insurance Backed Guarantees (IBG)”

Related guides

Best Boiler Deals is an independent guide. We may earn a fee from some links; this never affects what we write. This article is general information, not regulated advice on any specific installation — always confirm the details with a Gas Safe registered engineer.