GAS SAFETY CERTIFICATE INFORMATION FOR LANDLORDS
Landlords have a legal requirement to ensure that their tenants stay safe in the property they’re letting. All properties that are rented out must have an annual inspection to ensure that the gas boiler, pipe work, appliances and flues provided for tenants are maintained in a safe condition.
What are the landlord responsibilities for gas safety?
The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 outline the steps that the landlord is required to take so that all gas appliances, fittings, chimneys and flues are safe and working efficiently. If you’re letting a property with gas appliances installed, the three main legal responsibilities are:
1. Gas safety checks
To ensure the tenants’ safety, all gas appliances and flues need to undergo an annual gas safety check by a Gas Safe registered engineer. Once this has been done, a Landlord Gas Safety Record or Gas Safety certificate with details of all the checks that were carried out will be issued. It can also be referred to as a CP12 certificate.
Appliances owned by tenants are not the responsibility of the landlord, although they have an obligation to ensure the safety of any connecting flues, unless they’re solely connected to the tenants’ appliance.
2. Gas Safety Record
Following the annual gas safety check and receipt of the Landlord Gas Safety Record, a copy needs to be provided as a record of this check to the tenants. By law, a copy of the Landlord Gas Safety Record should be given to the current tenants within 28 days of the gas safety check and for new tenants, this will need to be provided to at the start of their tenancy.
For rental periods of less than 28 days, a copy of the record should be clearly displayed within the property. Copies of this gas safety check record are required to be kept for a minimum period of two years.
3. Maintenance
Landlords need to make sure that all gas pipework, appliances, chimneys and flues are kept in safe condition. The gas appliances’ manufacturer guidelines will advise on how often a service is recommended. If these are unavailable, unless the Gas Safe registered engineer suggests otherwise, an annual service would be recommended.
Installation pipework isn’t covered by the annual gas safety check, but both the Gas Safe register and the HSE recommend that when a safety check is requested, the Gas Safe registered engineer is asked to:
- Test for tightness on the whole gas system, including installation pipework
- Visually examine the pipework (so far as is reasonably practicable)
There are no formal requirements for the landlord to keep maintenance records, but they will need to be able to show that they have regularly maintained the pipework, appliances and flues and completed required repairs.
How much does a Landlord Gas Safety check cost?
If you require a Landlord Gas Safety Certificate for the property then Infusion Homes can arrange for a Gas Safe registered engineer to provide you with the relevant documents to ensure that you comply with the legal requirements under the Gas Safety (Installation & Use Regulations) 1986. Please ask a member of staff for further details.
Additional information
It’s always a good idea to ensure the tenants know where and how to turn the gas off and what to do in the event of a gas emergency.
Any issues?
Some relationships between landlords and tenants can become problematic. The tenancy agreement should allow access for maintenance or safety checks, but if the tenant refuses to grant access, a landlord must be able to demonstrate that they have taken all 'reasonable steps' to comply with the law. This includes repeating attempts to carry out the checks and writing to the tenant to explaining that safety checks are a legal requirement in place for their own safety. It is advisable landlords keep a record of any action they take as this may be needed at a later date.
The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations don’t give powers to ‘force disconnection’ of the gas supply in these circumstances and a landlord may need to seek legal advice.
If you smell gas you will need to call the National Gas Emergency number: 0800 111 999
Visit www.gassaferegister.co.uk for more information about landlords’ responsibility for gas safety.
