Most Housing Associations and Councils start trying to get access about three months before the gas safety expiry because the check is a legal requirement.
If you’ve refused access before, you’re already flagged and they will escalate faster because they know you’re likely to delay again.
Where I work, we issue a Notice of Access at week 6. By week 8, the legal process starts.
Before anything goes near court, legal letters are sent out and housing officers will have already made several attempts to contact you — phone calls, emails, out‑of‑hours calls, and even attending in person, every single attempt is recorded by evidence. If there’s still no access by week 11, we apply to court.
Once that application is made, the tenant is liable for the costs, usually £400 or more, even if they suddenly decide to cooperate afterwards.
Anxiety doesn’t change any of this. It’s understandable, but it doesn’t excuse refusing access.
Gas safety checks are mandatory and the landlord has to comply with the law. The court won’t accept “I was anxious” as a reason for blocking a legally required inspection.
Most HAs and Councils have trackers on their vans now, so they can easily prove they attended your property. My employer’s trades also take photographic evidence of every Notice of Access, time‑stamped and dated on their handheld unit, and it all gets logged in the system.
Any claim from the numerous attempts, claiming that they “never came” or “didn’t try” won’t stand up because the evidence is already heavily recorded.