Insurance

The chimney sweep certificate your insurer may actually want

Updated 1 September 2026

There is no single Act that forces every chimney to hold a sweeping certificate. Insurers and mortgage conditions still ask for one after solid-fuel use, especially after a chimney fire or smoke claim.

A useful certificate names the property, appliance and fuel, records defects and a smoke or draw test, states the next due date, and comes from a sweep on a live public register (HETAS, NACS, Guild, APICS or Sweep Safe).

Cash-in-hand visits with no named document rarely survive a claim. Confirm membership on the official finder before you book. Find a registered sweep. Landlords and holiday-let hosts: see the landlord certificate guide.