Gas Safety Certificate For Landlords
It is important to remember that only landlords are responsible for the gas safety inspection. This applies to landlords of residential dwellings and those who rent rooms or holiday accommodation.
Before they can put their properties for sale, landlords must be able demonstrate that the pipes and appliances in their homes are safe. This can be accomplished by obtaining a gas safety certificate .
What is a gas safety certification?
If you're a landlord or homeowner, you have to comply with the law in regards to maintaining your gas appliances and installation in good working order. This is why every property owner should be issued a gas safety certificate at least once a year. But what exactly is a gas safety certification? And who needs one?
A Gas Safe Certificate, also called a Landlord Gas Safety Record, is an official document issued by a licensed Gas Safe engineer after carrying an exhaustive inspection of all gas appliances and flues within your rental home. The engineer will also ensure that the ventilation passages in your home are clean to avoid the risk of carbon monoxide accumulating in your home.
The Gas Safe Certificate will detail the results of your annual inspection. It will list each of the gas appliances that were inspected and installations, as well as their model, make and the location of your home. The engineer will state if the appliances are safe to use, and will provide information on the work required to ensure your tenants' safety.
You must provide your Landlord Gas Safety Certificate to your tenants within 28 days of the service. You must also give it to new tenants when they start their tenure. Failure to do so could result in fines, or even criminal prosecution, so it's important to consider your responsibilities seriously.
While homeowners don't require a Gas Safety Certificate, it's an excellent idea to obtain one every year. This will not just put your mind at ease regarding the state of your heating and gas appliances, but help you spot any issues in advance. This could save you lots of money and hassle in the long in the long.
Gas Safety Certificates can be extremely useful for potential buyers when selling your home. They can prove that you've taken good care of all gas appliances and installations. It also speeds the process of selling as it does not require any additional inspections.
Who needs an official certificate of gas safety?
As a landlord, it's your responsibility to ensure that all gas appliances and flues within your rental property are safe. You'll need to schedule regular inspections from an Gas Safe registered technician to make sure that everything is operating properly.
You'll need your tenants a copy the Gas Safety Certificate once the inspection has been completed. It is best to have this completed prior to when your tenants move in or at the start of any new leases. It is also recommended to keep a copy of the certificate for yourself, as well as any records of any maintenance work that you have performed on your home's gas appliances.
The landlords' properties must be inspected for gas safety at minimum once every 12months. This includes the landlord's gas appliances as well as any appliances that are provided to tenants.
If you're a landlord and don't have a valid gas safety certificate, you could face hefty penalties (up to a maximum of PS6,000) or court action from your tenants or a criminal charge. The greatest risk is that a tenant might be injured or even killed by defective appliances in your rental home.
Only Gas Safe engineers are qualified to perform a Gas Safety check. They are the only ones who are trained to safely examine, service and test gas appliances and installations. Landlords can determine if an engineer is registered with the Gas Safe Register by checking their ID card. It has a unique Hologram.
Although it's not uncommon for tenants to deny access to their rental property in order to allow a Gas Safety Check, it is possible to do so. In these instances it is essential that the landlord explains to the tenant why this is a mandatory requirement and how dangerous carbon monoxide could be if not detected on time.
If the tenant refuses to let an engineer in, then the landlord may decide to issue an Section 21 notice that ends their tenure. This should be accompanied by an explanation of why they're being removed. For example rent arrears, non-payment or severe damage to the property.
How can I obtain an gas safety certification?
Landlords require an official gas safety certificate to ensure their rental properties are in compliance with government regulations. However, some tenants might not allow gas engineers enter their residences for this purpose - which is frustrating and unfair for landlords. Landlords should ensure tenants are aware that gas engineers aren't spies and only need to access their homes to sign a legally-required document. This will help reduce the number of tenants who refuse access to gas inspections.
The Landlord Gas Safety Record is issued by the gas engineer once he has completed the necessary checks. It is also referred to as a CP12, which stands for CORGI Proforma 12. CORGI was the Council for Registered Gas Installers until it was replaced by the Gas Safe Register in April 2009.
The landlord must provide their existing tenants with a copy of this document within 28 days (about four weeks) of the time the check is completed and give a new tenant an original copy when they sign the Tenancy agreement. The landlord must also ensure that a carbon monoxide detector has been installed in each room used as living accommodation which has fixed combustion appliances (excluding gas cookers) and that smoke alarms are installed to every storey 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 not able to gain access to the property to conduct the required gas safety inspections, they can apply for a 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 to conduct the gas safety test and kept records of the attempts. If the landlord does not adhere to the proper procedure and attempts to evict tenants without a valid reason they could be accused of harassment and could face heavy fines.
What is the reason I need a gas safety certificate?
Landlords must have a gas safety certification to ensure that the property they rent out is safe for tenants to reside in. This means that they must have regular checks performed by an approved gas engineer to ensure that all appliances are safe to use. This also means that they must make sure the gas pipework, appliances, and flues are in good working order.
This will help avoid any fires, accidents or carbon monoxide poisoning that can be caused by faulty equipment. Gas Safety Certificates are important for landlords to ensure they are up-to-date. They could be fined when they don't.
Landlords have to demonstrate that they carried out their annual gas safety inspections in a timely manner. You can verify your Gas Safe Register online or request a copy from the engineer that visited the property. The landlord must fix any appliances that are dangerous or faulty immediately to protect the safety of tenants.
Some landlords may have trouble persuading their tenants to let them access the property for gas safety inspections. It may be because they feel that it is an invasion of their privacy, or they are in a dispute with their landlord. If this is the case, it is a good idea to ask the landlord to write a strongly worded letter explaining the reasons why gas safety checks are necessary and what they'll entail. The letter can be delivered via recorded delivery and the tenant should have 14 days to respond.
If the tenant is unwilling to give the landlord access they should take additional steps. This could involve writing an Section 21 notice or applying to the court for an injunction to force them to allow access. This is a serious step that should only be considered only as a last option.