Landlords must adhere to several health and Gas Safety Certificates Standards, one of which is gas safety certificates. Failure to fulfil the criteria for gas safety certificates in your home might result in fines of thousands of pounds and perhaps a criminal conviction and prison term. If you’re worried about breaking the law, there’s a wealth of information available to assist you.
We’ve put together this comprehensive guide for gas safety certificate requirements to help landlords better understand their legal responsibilities and, most importantly, how to keep their renters safe by obtaining gas safety certificates.
What are the legal obligations of a landlord regarding Gas Safety Certificates?
A boiler, cooker, or gas fire must all be installed and used following the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations of 1998 if you plan to rent out the house to tenants.
You are legally responsible for three things:
· Each appliance and flue should have a yearly gas safety inspection.
· Each safety inspection should be documented and given to your renters.
· Maintain and repair all gas piping, flues, and appliances to keep them in good working order.
What does an annual Gas Safety Inspection entail?
To ensure the safety of your renters, a Gas safe qualified engineer must do a safety check on all of the gas appliances in your home once a year. To that end, it is necessary to ensure the following:
· To ensure proper operation, the appliance has been calibrated.
· It appears that gases are not escaping from this structure.
· All safety mechanisms, such as cut-out devices, are functioning properly, and the flues are free of obstructions.
· The brackets that hold an appliance in place are in good shape.
Gas Safe Register and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) recommend that you ask your engineer to do these additional tasks even if they are not part of the standard yearly inspection. The whole gas system, including the installation pipes, should be tested to ensure airtightly. As much as feasible, have a look at the piping visually.
What is a landlord Gas Safety Certificate or CP12, and what does it cover?
It’s not uncommon to hear the term “landlord gas safety certificates” used to refer to the Landlord Gas Safety Record.
There is, however, more to the name “CP12″…
‘CORGI Proforma 12’ is the acronym. Until April 2009, the Council for Registered Gas Installers (CORGI) was the UK’s gas safety regulatory organisation. Gas Safe engineers replaced CORGI engineers with conducting rental property inspections, and the new Gas Safety Record document went into force – although many in the business still refer to it as a CP12!
Even though the CORGI CP12 has been revised and modernised, many engineers now utilise the Gas Safe documentation. The Landlord Gas Safety Record is also referred to as a “Gas Safety Certificate” by the general public.
Booking a Gas Safety Certificate check every year is a good idea.
The government has granted some wiggle room to provide landlords adequate time to schedule an engineer and arrange access to the property.
Since the expiration date will not be affected, you can get a check done up to two months early and still have it use the original expiration date
Are the Gas Safety certificates going to be taken care of by my landlord?
An agent who offers a “fully managed” service should be able to take care of all of your health and safety needs, including scheduling your yearly gas safety inspection.
Just make sure that their legal obligations are specified in your contract with them.
Even if an agent isn’t a trade association member, they must join a government-authorised consumer redress programme by law.
Having an unbiased third party to arbitrate and handle any issues you may have with your agent is reassuring.
The engineer’s visit should be coordinated by your agent, who should also make sure the renter duplicates the Gas Safety Record and stores the original in a safe place. As a precaution, request a copy from them to ensure that everything is in order.
How much do Gas Safety Certificates cost?
Depending on where you live and who you hire, you may expect to pay anything from £50 to £120. To ensure you’re not overspending, we suggest getting a couple of quotations from local businesses.
How long does it take to do a Gas Safety Check?
A lot is predicated on the engineer’s expertise and any problems. If nothing needs fixing, it should just take 20-30 minutes, but it might take up to two hours if repairs are required.
Does a Gas Safety Certificate have a specific expiration date?
A gas safety certificate is valid for one year from the date of issuance. You must conduct a fresh check within two months before the certificate’s expiration date each year.
Do I have to provide my tenants with Gas Safety Certificates?
A copy of the gas safety certificate must be provided to your renters as required by law.
After each yearly gas safety assessment, the completed Landlord Gas Safety Record will be given to you (or your agent). New renters must get a copy of this document before moving in, and current tenants must receive a copy within 28 days after the check. Because of this, Section 21 eviction notices cannot be issued in the case of noncompliance.
Additionally, you must preserve a copy of every check you write for a minimum of two years. A gas safety inspection may be impossible if your renter refuses to grant entry.
Tenants that refuse to provide access to the gas safety check are rare. They may think you’re invading their privacy, or you two may be embroiled in some conflict.
Whatever the reason, you as the landlord or your agent will need to explain that this is a government mandate and it’s there to protect them from any harm.
They should be reminded that carbon monoxide has no odour or taste, and they might be putting their lives in danger if they refuse to accept a check. Even when the engineer is examining, the homeowner can be there and even observe from afar.
You have three options if it doesn’t work:
· Send a letter to schedule a Gas Safety Inspection, either through email with a “read receipt” or by documented delivery. To ensure compliance with a legal mandate, make clear that the engineer must be granted access.
· Second letter: Send if you don’t hear back from them in a fair length of time. Emphasise that it’s a legal necessity.
· If they don’t, send a final letter requesting that they get in touch with you right away to set up an inspection time that works for both of you.
