Compliance: troubleshooting

Fixes for common compliance problems and error messages. For how compliance works, see Compliance; for step-by-step instructions, see Compliance: how-to.

A certificate panel is missing from a property

Why it happens:

1. The panel is switched Off for that property. HMO licence starts off for single lets, short-term lets and blocks.
2. Someone used Save for all properties from a property where the panel was off, which switched it off everywhere.
3. Your role doesn’t include Compliance (or Property services, for Boiler Servicing, PAT, Other Certificates, Mortgage and Building Insurance).

How to fix it:

1. On the property page, scroll to Services > Inactive services, click Read more on the panel, choose Manual and click Save. See Switch on a certificate panel. Certificates added before it was switched off come back.
2. If several properties are affected, set the panel up on one property and use Save for all properties, with the panel on Manual.
3. Ask an admin to give your role the permission.

The panel says “You must accept the terms and conditions before this service can be used”

Why it happens: the panel is on, but its terms haven’t been accepted for this property.

How to fix it: click View, tick I agree to the terms & conditions, and click Save. No reminders run for the panel until you do.

I’m getting reminders for something that doesn’t apply

Why it happens: the panel is on, so COHO expects a certificate. For example, a property with no gas supply still has the Gas Safety panel on. There’s no “not applicable” option.

How to fix it: switch the panel Off for that property. See Switch off a certificate panel. For a single Fire Safety or Health & Safety check, turn off Required? for that check instead.

A renewal Action didn’t clear after I added the new certificate

Why it happens:

1. COHO updates Actions in the background, so it can take a few minutes.
2. The new certificate’s Valid to date is still inside your reminder period, so a renewal is still due.
3. The certificate was added to the building but the Action is for the property, or the other way round.

How to fix it:

1. Wait a few minutes, then refresh your Actions.
2. Check the dates. If they’re wrong, remove the certificate and add it again.
3. Check whether the property’s own panel still says a certificate is needed, and add it at the right level.

I didn’t get a reminder

Why it happens:

1. No certificate has been added, so there’s no expiry date to remind you about. You get an “add” Action instead, which for a new property may be under Setup tasks. Setup tasks don’t send notifications.
2. The panel is off, or its terms haven’t been accepted.
3. Your reminder period is shorter than you thought. HMO licence reminders always start 4 weeks before expiry, and Other Certificates 6 weeks before.
4. The Action went to someone else. Renewal Actions go to the property’s property manager (or your organisation’s), unless your Action rules say otherwise.
5. Your notifications for that type of Action are turned off.

How to fix it:

1. Add the current certificate. On the Actions list, turn on Setup tasks to see setup Actions, or click End this process on the property’s setup checklist.
2. Check the panel’s mode and terms.
3. Open the panel’s settings cog and check How many weeks before it’s due should we remind you?.
4. Check who’s set as the property manager, and your Action rules.
5. Check your notification settings in your account.

The owner didn’t get an expiry email

Why it happens:

1. Alert owner isn’t on, or isn’t available: it only shows for Gas Safety, EPC, EICR and HMO licence, on Manual, for a property managed for an owner.
2. The owner has no email address in COHO.
3. The owner has already been emailed about this certificate. COHO emails once per certificate.

How to fix it:

1. Open the panel’s settings cog, turn on Alert owner, choose the weeks and click Save. COHO checks when you save.
2. Add the owner’s email address to their details.
3. Contact the owner yourself if they need another reminder.

The reminder came at the wrong time

Why it happens: reminders count back from the Valid to date (or, for Fire Safety, Health & Safety, PAT and boiler servicing, from the date completed plus how often the check is needed). A wrong date, or the wrong frequency in the settings, moves the reminder.

How to fix it: check the record’s dates and the panel’s settings. To fix a date, remove the record and add it again.

No maintenance issue was created

Why it happens:

1. Create maintenance issue automatically wasn’t ticked when the reminder started. Turning it on applies from the next reminder.
2. The panel doesn’t offer it (HMO licence, Other Certificates, Mortgage and Building Insurance).

How to fix it: tick the option in the panel’s settings, and raise a maintenance issue yourself for the current renewal.

An automatically created maintenance issue is still open after I added the certificate

Why it happens: COHO only closes these automatically for Fire Safety, and only if nobody has assigned, scheduled or updated the issue.

How to fix it: close the maintenance issue yourself in Maintenance.

Tenants can’t see a certificate

Why it happens:

1. Share with tenants (available in their portal) wasn’t ticked, so the certificate shows Not visible to tenants.
2. The tenant hasn’t joined COHO yet.
3. The certificate type can’t be shared. Only Gas Safety, EPC, EICR and HMO licence can.

How to fix it:

1. You can’t change sharing on an existing certificate. Remove it and add it again with Share with tenants ticked.
2. Invite the tenant to COHO, or serve the document another way and use Mark as acknowledged.
3. Send other documents through Communications (Notices), or add them to the contract.

The wrong or an old certificate went out with a contract

Why it happens: COHO includes the latest certificate that’s shared with tenants. If the newest one wasn’t shared, or was added to the building instead of the property, an older one may be used, or none.

How to fix it: add the current certificate to the property, with Share with tenants ticked, before you create the contract. Check the documents listed in the contract’s compliance section before sending.

The contract says “Items are missing or expired:”

Why it happens:

1. The property’s Gas Safety, EPC, EICR or HMO licence panel is on, but there’s no current certificate on the property that’s shared with tenants.
2. The certificate is held at building level. This check only looks at certificates added to the property itself, so it can warn even though the building certificate will still be included for tenants to acknowledge.

How to fix it:

1. Add or renew the certificate on the property, with Share with tenants ticked, then check the contract again.
2. If the building certificate is current and shared, you can carry on: the message is a warning and doesn’t stop you sending the contract.

A tenant can’t sign because of “Please acknowledge all compliance items”

Why it happens: tenants must click Acknowledge on every document under Important information before they can sign.

How to fix it: ask the tenant to scroll through Important information and acknowledge each document, then sign.

A document shows Bounced, Errored or “Error while serving”

Why it happens: the email to the tenant didn’t get through, for example because the address is wrong or the mailbox rejected it. The reason is shown in the panel.

How to fix it: check the tenant’s email address on their tenancy. Ask them to check their COHO account, where shared documents are available. If you serve it another way, use Mark as acknowledged.

Tenants have to acknowledge a certificate again

Why it happens: the certificate was removed and added again. Removing a certificate removes its acknowledgements, and the new one needs acknowledging.

How to fix it: nothing is wrong; ask tenants to acknowledge the new one. To avoid it, check certificates carefully before adding them.

I can’t add a certificate for one flat or room in a block

Why it happens: certificates belong to a property or a building, not a room. A property set up as a block holds one certificate of each type.

How to fix it: set up each flat as its own property and group them into a building. Then add shared certificates to the building and individual ones to each flat.

I need a certificate type that isn’t listed

Why it happens: Other Certificates has a fixed list of types.

How to fix it: contact COHO support to ask for a new type. Meanwhile, keep the document elsewhere on the property and set yourself a reminder.

The organisation Compliance panel doesn’t show a type

Why it happens: the panel covers Gas Safety, EICR, EPC, HMO licence, Fire Safety, PAT and Health & Safety. It also only lists items that match the date filter, which starts on Expiring within 14 days.

How to fix it: change the filter to All or Expired or not started. Check Boiler Servicing, Other Certificates, Mortgage and Building Insurance on each property.

Error messages

Message (as shown)	What it means	What to do
“You do not have permission to view compliance records for this organisation”	Your role can’t see compliance	Ask an admin for view permission for Compliance
“You do not have permission to change compliance records for this organisation”	Your role can’t add, remove or change compliance records	Ask an admin for edit permission for Compliance
“You must accept the terms and conditions before this service can be used”	The panel’s terms aren’t accepted	Click View and accept them
“Items are missing or expired:”	A required certificate isn’t on file or has expired	See The contract says “Items are missing or expired:”
“No Gas safety certificate on property” / “Gas safety certificate has expired” (and the same for EPC, EICR and HMO licence)	Listed under “Items are missing or expired:”	Add or renew that certificate
“There was an issue serving this document - [reason].”	The document couldn’t be emailed	See A document shows Bounced, Errored or “Error while serving”
“Email bounced: [reason].”	The tenant’s mailbox rejected the email	Check the email address
“Please acknowledge all compliance items”	Seen by a tenant who hasn’t acknowledged every document	See A tenant can’t sign
“Share with tenants must be chosen when opting to serve the documents on tenants by email”	Email serving was chosen without sharing	Tick Share with tenants too
“Record already approved”	A tenant’s fire safety record was already approved	Nothing to do