Certificate expiry reminders for letting agents in Apex27

A lapsed gas safety record or EICR is a compliance failure and a risk to tenants, and expiry dates scattered across files get missed. If you manage 120 properties and spend 380 minutes a month finding what is due and preparing chasers, that's about 6.3 hours a month.

Apex27 is a cloud CRM for estate and letting agents. The vendor's page says its customisable workflows can cover inspections, certificates and maintenance issues, and a customer quote on the site mentions expiry reminder emails. It never names gas safety records or EICRs or describes how expiry alerts work, so you test that in the free 30-day trial. You record each property's certificate dates from the certificate itself, and a named person checks the expiring-soon list every week against the certificates. Apex27 is the primary record only if the trial confirms its reminders and reports work for you; if not, keep a dated spreadsheet or diary as the primary record and use Apex27 as storage.

A letting agency in Chesterfield manages 120 properties, about 12 gas safety records and 2 EICRs falling due in a typical month. One property manager records each certificate date when the certificate is received and checks the expiry list every Monday, in Apex27 once the trial has shown its reminders work, or in a dated spreadsheet if not.

About 3.5 hours a month saved (210 minutes), worth around £88 if staff time is worth £25 an hour. One user costs £35 a month plus VAT, about £42. The bigger gain, avoiding a missed certificate, isn't priced here. If you already use Apex27, the extra cost is nil. If the trial shows the reminders don't suit you, a dated spreadsheet costs nothing but the same weekly check.

1. 1Record every certificate's issue and expiry dates in Apex27 for each property, from the certificate itself, and keep the certificate on file.
2. 2Check the rules for your nation: gas safety records are due every 12 months, and EICR rules differ between England, Wales and Scotland.
3. 3In the 30-day trial, ask Apex27 how certificate expiry reminders work, test one with a dummy property, and decide whether Apex27 or a dated spreadsheet or diary is your primary record.
4. 4Name one person who reads the expiring-soon list every Monday and chases certificates, and a deputy for holidays.
5. 5Once a quarter, compare a sample of certificates on file with the dates in Apex27.

• Automations and alerts can fail silently or be ignored. The weekly human check is the control, not the software.
• A date entered wrongly stays wrong. Enter it from the certificate and have a second person check a sample.
• Apex27's page doesn't name gas safety or EICR tracking or describe expiry alerts; a customer quote mentions expiry reminder emails. Don't assume timings you haven't seen work.
• Pricing is per user, so each extra property manager adds £35 a month plus VAT.