Gas Safety Certificate For Landlords
It is important to remember that only landlords are accountable for ensuring the safety of gas. This is true for landlords of residential dwellings as well as those who lease rooms or holiday accommodation.
Before they can put their homes on the market landlords must demonstrate that the pipes and appliances in their homes are safe. This can be done with an official gas safety certificate.
What is a Gas Safety Certification?
You must abide by the law, whether you're a landlord or homeowner, when it comes to keeping your gas appliances and installations in good in good working order. That's why every property owner must be issued a gas safety certificate at least once a year. But what exactly is a gas safety certification? Who needs one?
A Gas Safe Certificate, also called a Landlord Gas Safety Record, is an official document that is issued by a qualified Gas Safe engineer after carrying out a full 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 dangerous carbon monoxide build-up.
The Gas Safe Certificate will detail the results of your annual inspection. It will list all the gas appliances that were inspected and installations, as well as their model, brand and the location of your property. The engineer will state if the appliances are safe to use and provide information about the work required to ensure the safety of your tenants.
You must provide your Landlord Gas Safety Certificate to your tenants within 28 days after the service. You should also provide it to new tenants when they begin their lease. In the event of a delay, it could result in fines, or even criminal prosecution, so it's crucial to take your responsibilities seriously.
Although homeowners don't need an Gas Safety Certificate, it's still a good idea to obtain one annually. This will not only give you peace of mind about the state of your heating and gas appliances, but it will also help you catch any issues before they become serious. This could help you save time and money in the long term.
If you're considering selling your house and are thinking of selling it, a Gas Safety Certificate will prove an invaluable asset to prospective buyers as it will demonstrate that you've taken care of your gas appliances and installations. It also speeds the process of conveyancing since it does not require any additional inspections.
Who is in need of a gas safety certificate?
As a landlord, it's your responsibility to ensure that all flues and gas appliances in your rental property are safe. This means that you'll need to schedule regular inspections by an Gas Safe registered engineer to ensure that everything is working properly.
You'll need to provide your tenants a copy the Gas Safety Certificate once the inspection has been completed. This should be done before your tenants move in, or at the beginning of any new tenancy. You should keep an original copy of the document for yourself as well as documentation of any maintenance you have carried out on gas appliances in your property.
Landlords are legally required to have their properties checked for gas safety at a minimum every 12 months. This includes the landlord's gas appliances, as well as any appliances that are provided to tenants.
If you're a landlord that doesn't have a valid gas safety certificate, you could face huge fines (up to PS6,000), court action from your tenants or the possibility of a criminal charge. The greatest risk is that a tenant could be injured or even killed by defective appliances at your rental property.
The only person who can carry out the Gas Safety Check are Gas Safe engineers. This is because only they are trained to safely examine and service gas appliances and installations. Landlords can check the engineer's Gas Safe Register registration by looking for their ID card with unique holograms on it.
While it's uncommon for a tenant to refuse access to their rental property in order to permit an Gas Safety Check, it can happen. In these instances it is crucial for the landlord to explain why this is a legal requirement and also that carbon monoxide is extremely hazardous if not discovered in time.
If a tenant is still refusing to allow an engineer to enter their home the landlord should think about giving them the Section 21 notice to end their tenure. This is to be accompanied by a description of the reason why they're being evicted in the first place, such as not paying rent or causing serious damage to the property.
How do I obtain a gas safety certificate?
Landlords need an official gas safety certificate to prove their rental properties are in compliance with the regulations of the government. However, some tenants may refuse to let gas engineers into their residences for this purpose - which is frustrating and unfair for landlords. Landlords must ensure that tenants know that gas engineers aren't spying, and they only need to access their homes to complete a legally required document. This will help to reduce the number of tenants who refuse to grant access to gas inspections.
Once the gas engineer has conducted the necessary checks and is satisfied that the appliances are safe for use, they will issue an Landlord Gas Safety Record document. It is also referred to 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 must provide their existing tenants with a copy this document within 28 days (about four weeks) of the date that the check is completed and give the new tenant a copy on signing the tenancy agreement. The landlord should ensure that a carbon dioxide detector is installed in every room that has fixed combustion appliances, excluding gas cookers. Go At this site must be installed on every floor of the property. Landlords can obtain 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 not able to gain access to the property to conduct the required gas safety inspections, they may use the section 21 notice to evict tenants. A notice under section 21 is only valid if the landlord made at least three unsuccessful attempts to gain access to the property for the gas safety test and kept a record of those attempts. If the landlord does not follow the proper procedure and then tries to expel tenants without a valid reason, they may be found guilty of harassing and face heavy fines.
What is the reason I need a gas safety certification?
Landlords need to have a gas safety certification to ensure that the home they lease out is safe for tenants to reside in. Gas engineers should conduct regular checks to ensure all appliances are safe for use. This means they have to ensure that the gas pipelines and appliances are in good in good working order.
This will help to stop any fires, accidents, or carbon monoxide poisoning which could result from faulty equipment. Gas Safety Certificates are important for landlords to be current. They can be penalized for not doing so.
Landlords must demonstrate that their annual gas safety check has been carried out on time. They can prove this by reviewing their Gas Safe register online, or by obtaining an original copy of the most recent certificate from the engineer who visited the property. If any of the appliances show as unsafe or inoperable the landlord should have them repaired as soon as possible to protect the health and safety of the tenants.
Some landlords are unable to convince their tenants to grant access to their properties in order to conduct gas safety inspections. It may be because they feel that it violates their privacy or are in a dispute with their landlord. It is a good idea to have the landlord write a letter in which he explains the reason why the gas safety check is necessary and what it will involve. The letter can be delivered by recorded delivery and the tenant will be given 14 days to respond.
If the tenant refuses to allow access to the landlord, they must take further steps. This could include a Section 21 Notice or applying to court for an Injunction. However, this is a serious step that should only be taken as a last resort.