Minimum requirements for any contractor
Any contractor you use should have: public liability insurance (minimum £1m, ideally £2m+); proof they can do the work (qualifications for gas, electrical, boiler work are legally required). Ask for these before the first job — not after something goes wrong.
Gas Safe Register
Any work on gas appliances, boilers, or pipework must be carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer. You can verify any engineer at gassaferegister.co.uk. Using an unregistered engineer is a criminal offence and invalidates your landlord gas safety certificate.
Part P for electrical work
Electrical work in rented properties must comply with Part P of the Building Regulations. From 2020, landlords must also have a valid Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR). Any contractor doing electrical work should be registered with a competent person scheme (NICEIC, NAPIT, or similar).
References and reviews
Ask for two references from other landlords or homeowners. Check Checkatrade, TrustATrader, or Google Reviews. Don't just look at the star rating — read the detail. A pattern of 'slow to respond' or 'had to chase' tells you how they'll handle your repairs.
Put it in writing
Every job should have a written quote before work starts — even for small jobs. The quote should specify: scope of work, materials included, price (inc. VAT if applicable), and expected timeline. Keep these with your repair records. FixRoute stores every contractor quote and completion note against the repair ticket, so your paper trail is automatic.