Gas Safety Certificate For Landlords
It is important to keep in mind that only landlords are responsible for ensuring the safety of gas. This applies to both landlords who own residential properties as well as those who lease rooms or other holiday accommodation.
Before they can put their properties for sale landlords must prove that the pipework and appliances they have installed in their homes are safe. This can be accomplished by having a gas safety certificate.
What is a gas safety certificate?
You must abide by the law, whether you're a landlord, or a homeowner, when it comes to maintaining your gas appliances and installations in good condition. That's why every property owner should get their gas safety certificate at least once per year. But what exactly is a gas safety certificate? Who needs one?
Gas Safe Certificates, also called Landlord Gas Safety Record are official documents issued by a Gas Safe engineer who has completed a full inspection of your rental's gas appliances and flues. The engineer will also ensure that all ventilation pathways are in good working order within your rental property to avoid the risk of carbon dioxide build-up.
The Gas Safe Certificate will detail the results of your yearly inspection. It will list each of the inspected gas appliances and installations, including their make, model and the location of your home. The engineer will determine whether the appliances are safe to use and provide information about the work required to ensure your tenants' safety.
When you receive your Landlord Gas Safety Certificate, you'll need to give it to your tenants who are currently residing in your home within 28 days of receiving the service and provide it to any new tenants at the beginning of their tenancy. If you don't follow the rules you could face charges or fines.
While homeowners don't require to have a Gas Safety Certificate, it's an excellent idea to have one every year. This will not only put your mind at rest about the state of your heating and gas appliances, but help you spot any problems early. This could save you lots of time and money in the long run.
Gas Safety Certificates can be extremely useful to prospective buyers when selling your home. They can prove that you've taken good care of all your gas appliances and installations. It also speeds up the conveyancing as it doesn't require additional checks.
Who is in need of an attestation of gas safety?
As a landlord, it's your responsibility to make sure that any gas appliances and flues in your rental property are safe for your tenants. This means that you'll need to schedule regular inspections with an Gas Safe registered engineer to make sure everything is working properly.
You'll need your tenants a copy the Gas Safety Certificate once the inspection has been completed. This should be done ideally prior to your tenants moving in or at the start of a new tenancy. Keep the certificate for yourself along with any records of any maintenance work that you have carried out on your property's gas appliances.
Landlords are legally required to have their properties checked for gas safety at least once every 12 months. This includes all properties with gas appliances owned by the landlord, and any appliances that are provided to tenants.
If you are a landlord without a valid certificate of gas safety, you may face severe penalties (upto PS6,000) and legal action from your tenants or even criminal charges. The biggest risk, however, is that one of your tenants could be injured or killed due to malfunctioning appliances in your rental property.
Only Gas Safe engineers are qualified to perform a Gas Safety check. They are the only ones who have been properly trained to examine gas appliances and installations. Landlords can determine if an engineer is registered with the Gas Safe Register by checking their ID card. It is unique. Hologram.
It is not common for a tenant to allow access to the rental property in order to conduct an Gas Safety Check. However, it does happen. In these situations it is crucial for the landlord to explain the legal requirement and also that carbon monoxide is extremely hazardous if not discovered promptly.
If gas safety certificate uk is unwilling to allow an engineer into the property the property, then the landlord could be tempted to issue the option of a Section 21 notice that ends their lease. This should be accompanied by a written explanation of the reason they're being removed for non-payment of rent or significant damage to the property.
How do I obtain an gas safety certification?
A gas safety certificate is necessary for landlords to show that their rented properties meet the requirements of the government. Some tenants will refuse to let a gas engineer into their house for this purpose, which is frustrating for landlords. Landlords should ensure tenants know that gas engineers aren't spying, and they only need to enter their homes to complete a legally required document. This will reduce the number of tenants who refuse to allow access for gas inspections.
The Landlord Gas Safety Record is issued by the gas engineer once he has completed the necessary checks. This is also known as a CP12 which stands for CORGI Proforma 12 CORGI used to be the Council for Registered Gas Installers, but was replaced in April 2009 by the Gas Safe Register.
The landlord has to give copies to their current tenants within 28 days (about 4 weeks) after the check is completed. certificate cost will be provided with a copy when signing the tenancy contract. The landlord should also make sure that a carbon dioxide detector is installed in every room with fixed combustion appliances, excluding gas cookers. Smoke alarms must be installed on every floor of the property. The HSE website has more details for landlords, including free brochures and an Approved Code of Practice to manage gas Installations and Appliances within a rental Property.
If a landlord is unable to gain access to their property to perform the necessary gas safety inspections, they can use the section 21 notice to expel tenants. A notice under section 21 is only valid if the landlord has made at least three unsuccessful attempts to gain access to the property for the gas safety test and kept records of those attempts. If the landlord fails to adhere to the proper procedure and attempts to evict tenants without a valid reason and is found guilty of harassing and face heavy fines.
Why do I need a gas safety certificate?
Landlords need to have an approved certificate of gas safety to ensure that the property they rent is safe for tenants. This means they must get regular checks done by an approved gas engineer to make sure that any appliances are safe to use. This means that they need to make sure that the gas pipework and appliances are in good working condition.
This can help prevent fires or accidents which could result from faulty appliances, as well as aiding in reducing the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning, which can occur when an appliance isn't properly maintained or installed. It is important that landlords stay up to date with their Gas Safety certificates, as they could be fined for failing to do so.
Landlords must prove that their annual gas safety inspection has been carried out in a timely manner. You can verify your Gas Safe Register online or obtain a copy from an engineer who visited the property. The landlord is required to repair any appliances that are dangerous or malfunctioning immediately to ensure the safety of the tenant.
Some landlords may be having difficulty convincing their tenants to allow them access the property for the gas safety checks. It could be because they believe that it would violate their privacy, or they are having a dispute with their landlord. If this is the case, it's an ideal idea for the landlord to send a strongly worded letter explaining why the gas safety checks are necessary and what they will entail. This letter could be sent via recorded delivery and the tenant will have 14 days to respond.
If the tenant still refuses to allow the landlord access then they should consider taking further action. This could involve writing an Section 21 notice or applying to the court for an injunction to force them to grant access. This is a serious step which should be used only as a last option.