It is important to keep in mind that only landlords are responsible for the gas safety inspection. This applies to landlords of residential dwellings as well as those who rent out rooms or holiday accommodation.
Before they can put their homes for sale landlords must demonstrate that the pipes and appliances in their homes are safe. This can be accomplished by having a gas safety certificate.
What is a Gas Safety Certification?
If you're a landlord or homeowner, you must to comply with the law in regards to keeping your gas appliances and installation in good working order. Every property owner should get their gas safety certificates at least once in a calendar year. What is a gas certificate? And who is the person who requires one?
Gas Safe Certificates, also known by the name 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 in your rental property to avoid the risk of carbon dioxide build-up.
The Gas Safe Certificate will provide you with the results of your annual inspection. It will list all of the inspected gas appliances and installations, as well as their make, model and the location of your home. The engineer will also state whether they found the appliances to be safe to use or not, and will detail any work that needs to be completed to ensure the safety of your tenants.
You will have to give your Landlord Gas Safety Certificate to your tenants within 28 days after the service. It is also required to provide it to new tenants when they begin their tenure. Failure to do so could result in fines or criminal prosecution, so it's important to consider your responsibilities seriously.
Although homeowners do not require a Gas Safety Certificate to live in peace, it's a good thing to get one each year. This will not only make you feel more comfortable about the state of your heating and gas appliances, but it can also help you catch any issues early. This can help you save money and hassle in the long term.
Gas Safety Certificates are extremely useful to prospective buyers when you're selling your house. They will show that you have taken care of all gas appliances and installations. Additionally, it will expedite the process of conveyancing because it won't require any additional checks.
Who needs a gas safety certificate?
As a landlord it is your obligation to ensure that all gas appliances and flues in your rental property are safe. You'll need to schedule regular inspections by a Gas Safe registered technician to make sure that everything is operating correctly.
After the inspection is completed and you're ready to get the original copy of your Gas Safety Certificate to give to your tenants. This should be done ideally before your tenants move in, or at the beginning of a new lease. You should also keep the certificate for yourself, along with any records of the maintenance that was performed on your home's gas safety certificate uk appliances.
The landlords' properties must be examined for gas safety at minimum once every 12months. This includes the landlord's gas appliances as well as any appliances provided to tenants.
If you are a landlord without a valid certificate of gas safety, you may face severe fines (upto PS6,000) and legal action from your tenants or even criminal charges. The biggest risk is that one of your tenants could be injured or killed as a result of malfunctioning appliances in your rental property.
Only Gas Safe engineers are qualified to perform an Gas Safety check. Only Gas Safe professionals are trained to inspect, service and test appliances and installations in a safe manner. Landlords can verify an engineer's Gas Safe Register registration by looking for their ID card with an exclusive hologram.
Although it's not common for a tenant to refuse access to their rental property to permit an Gas Safety Check, it could happen. In these situations it is crucial that the landlord informs the tenant why it is a requirement and how dangerous carbon monoxide may be if it is not detected on time.
If the tenant is unwilling to allow an engineer into the property the property, then the landlord could be tempted to issue an Section 21 notice that ends their tenure. This should be accompanied by an explanation of the reason they're being forced out, such as non-payment of rent or serious damage to the property.
How can I obtain a gas safety certification?
A gas safety certificate is necessary for landlords to prove their rented properties meet the requirements of the government. Some tenants are reluctant to let a gas engineer into their home for this purpose and this can be a source of frustration for landlords. Landlords must ensure that tenants are aware that gas engineers aren't spying, and they only need access to their homes in order to sign a legally-required document. This will reduce the number tenants who deny access to gas inspections.
After the gas engineer has carried out the necessary checks and is sure that all appliances are safe to use, they will issue a landlord gas safety certificate cp12 Gas Safety Record document. This is also commonly known as a CP12 that stands for CORGI Proforma 12. CORGI was once 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. A new tenant will be provided with an original copy of the check when they sign the tenancy contract. The landlord must also ensure that a carbon monoxide detector is equipped in every room used as living accommodation which has fixed combustion appliances (excluding gas cookers) and that smoke alarms are fitted to each floor of the property. Landlords can get more information about these requirements, including free brochures and an Approved Code of Practice for the management of gas Installations and Appliances in the rental Property (Appendix 3), on the HSE website.
If a landlord is unable to gain access to the property to perform the necessary gas safety inspections, they can use the section 21 notice if necessary to evict 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 a record of the unsuccessful attempts. If a landlord fails follow the correct procedure for entry and then tries to expel tenants using unlawful means, they could be found guilty of harassment and could face substantial fines from regulatory bodies.
What is the reason I need a gas safety certification?
Landlords must be issued an official certificate of gas safety to ensure that the home they rent is safe for tenants. Gas engineers must perform regular checks to make sure that all appliances are safe to use. This means that they need to make sure that the gas pipelines and appliances are in good working in good working order.
This can help prevent fires or accidents which could be caused by defective appliances, while also reducing the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning, that can happen when an appliance isn't properly maintained or installed. It is crucial that landlords keep up to date with their Gas Safety certificates, as they can be fined if they don't.
Landlords must be able to demonstrate that they completed their annual gas safety checks in a timely manner. You can verify your Gas Safe Register online or obtain a copy from an engineer that visited the property. If any of the appliances show as unsafe or inoperable, the landlord must get them fixed immediately to protect the health and safety of the tenants.
Some landlords may have difficulty convincing their tenants to allow them access the property for the gas safety inspections. It could be because they feel that it violates their privacy, or they are in a dispute with their landlord. If this is the case, it is recommended for the landlord to send an explicit letter stating the reasons why gas safety checks are necessary and what they'll mean. This letter can be sent via recorded delivery and should give the tenant 14 days to reply.
If the tenant continues to refuse to give access to the landlord, they should consider taking further action. This might include writing an Section 21 notice or applying to the court for an injunction to force them to allow access. This is a serious action that should only be taken only as a last resort.