Short answer: Start with the Benchmark checklist at the back of the boiler's installation manual, which has a box for each service. Then look for a service sticker near the boiler, your own emails and paperwork, and the previous owner's or landlord's records. The maker may confirm registration and install date. If nothing turns up, book a service and start fresh.
Moving into a new home, buying a flat, or taking over a rental often comes with a question: when was this boiler last serviced? It matters for the warranty, for safety, and for planning the next visit.
Where to look
1. The Benchmark checklist
Most boilers fitted in the UK in recent years come with a Benchmark checklist in the back of the installation manual. The first pages record the installation: date, installer, Gas Safe number and commissioning readings. The following pages have a box for each service, which the engineer should fill in with the date, their details and the readings.
If you have the manual, this is the best single source. If the manual is missing, look in kitchen drawers, the boiler cupboard and the loft. Previous owners often leave it near the boiler.
2. Stickers and labels
Some engineers leave a sticker on or inside the boiler cupboard, or on the front panel, with the date of the last service and when the next is due. Look around the boiler and inside the cupboard door.
3. Your own records
If you have lived there a while, search your email and bank statements for the engineer’s name or the word service. Some companies send reminders or keep online records.
4. The previous owner
If you bought the property, the seller’s solicitor may already have passed on boiler paperwork. The property information form most sellers in England complete asks about the central heating and servicing. Ask your solicitor or the seller for copies. See our post on boiler services when selling a house.
5. Landlords and agents
If you rent, your landlord must give you a copy of the latest gas safety record within 28 days of the check, and new tenants before they move in. That shows when the gas appliances were last checked, though it is not the same as a full service. Ask the landlord or agent for service records too.
6. The boiler maker
Makers such as Worcester Bosch and Vaillant keep registration records. With the serial number from the data badge, they can often confirm when the boiler was registered and whether a guarantee is active. They usually do not have records of services done by independent engineers.
7. Gas Safe Register
When a new gas boiler is fitted, the installer notifies building control through the Gas Safe Register, and a building regulations compliance certificate is issued. Gas Safe can help with a copy. That gives the installation date, but not yearly services.
Moving into a Putney flat or house
In Putney, many homes change hands or tenants every few years, and boilers in riverside flats and Edwardian houses are often older than their current occupants’ time there. Taking over a boiler with no history is common. Our Putney area page covers the housing there.
What the age tells you
If you cannot find any service history, the boiler’s age helps decide what to do.
| Situation | Suggested step |
|---|---|
| Boiler under 2 years old, no service | Book now. The first yearly service may be overdue for the warranty |
| Boiler in a long guarantee period | Book now and contact the maker about the gap |
| Older boiler, no records | Book a full service as a baseline |
| Rented home | Ask the landlord for the latest gas safety record |
To find the age, look at the installation page of the Benchmark checklist, the compliance certificate, or ask the maker using the serial number.
Starting a fresh history
Once you have had a service:
- Keep the written service record in a folder with the manual
- Make sure the Benchmark service box is filled in
- Note the date in your phone with a reminder for 11 months
- If you have a long guarantee, keep everything until it ends and beyond
Our post on missed services and warranties explains what to do if your history has gaps.
What a good record looks like
When you do find records, check they show enough to be useful. A proper service record should include the date, the address, the boiler make and model, the engineer’s name and Gas Safe licence number, what was checked, and the combustion readings from the flue gas analyser. A receipt that only says boiler service is better than nothing, but it carries less weight if a maker asks for proof. From now on, make sure every visit is recorded this way.
Booking
Our boilers we service page covers the main makes. Tell us the model, the age if you know it, and that there is no service history, and we will plan a full baseline service.
Gas work in the UK must be done by a Gas Safe registered engineer. Check the ID card and the Gas Safe Register.
Quick questions
Is there a national boiler service register?
Not for routine services. Gas Safe Register holds records of new installations notified for building regulations, not of yearly services.
Can the maker tell me when it was serviced?
Usually not, unless their own engineers did it. They can often confirm registration and installation date.
I have no history at all. What now?
Book a full service, keep the record, and treat it as the start of the history.
Last updated 23 October 2026. Written for homes in London. Rules can change, so check the linked sources for the latest position.