Gas Safety Certificate For Landlords
It is crucial to keep in mind that it is only landlords who have responsibility for gas safety inspections. This applies to landlords who own residential properties and those who lease rooms or holiday homes.
Landlords must prove that the pipework and flues, as well as appliances, in their homes are safe prior to putting them up for sale. Gas safety certificates can help in achieving this.
What is a Gas Safety Certification?
If you're a tenant or homeowner, you need to adhere to the law in regards to maintaining 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 exactly is a gas safety certificate? Who needs one?
Gas Safe Certificates, also called Landlord Gas Safety Record are official documents issued by a Gas Safe engineer who has completed a full inspection of your rental property's gas appliances and flues. The engineer will also test that the ventilation passages in your property are free of obstruction to prevent the risk of carbon monoxide accumulating in your home.
The Gas Safe Certificate will detail the results of your annual inspection. The Gas Safe Certificate will detail the results of your yearly inspection. It will list all gas appliances and installations that were inspected, along with their make and model, as well as the location of your home. The engineer will determine whether 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 of the service. You must also give it to new tenants once they start their tenure. If you don't comply with the requirements, you could be subject to charges or fines.
Even though homeowners don't need a Gas Safety Certificate to live in safety, it's an excellent idea to obtain one each year. This will not only put your mind at ease regarding the condition of your gas and heating appliances, but help you identify any issues early. This could help you save time and money in the long term.
If you're considering selling your home, 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 can also speed up the conveyancing as it doesn't require any additional checks.
Who needs a gas safety certificate?
As an owner, it is your responsibility to ensure that any gas appliances or flues in your rental property are safe for your tenants. This means you'll have to schedule regular inspections with a Gas Safe registered engineer to ensure everything is in good working order.
You'll need to provide your tenants a copy of the Gas Safety Certificate once the inspection has been completed. This should be done before your tenants move into the property or at the start of any new lease. Keep the copy of the document for yourself, as well as the records of any maintenance that was carried out on gas appliances that are in your property.
Landlords must have their properties checked for gas safety at minimum once every 12months. This includes all properties with gas appliances that are owned by the landlord, and any appliances that are available to tenants.
If you are a landlord who does not have a valid certificate of gas safety, you could face severe penalties (upto PS6,000), legal action from your tenants or even criminal charges. The greatest danger is that a tenant could be injured or even killed due to defective appliances at your rental property.
Only Gas Safe engineers are qualified to perform an Gas Safety check. Only do i need a gas safety certificate are trained to inspect, service and test appliances and installations in a safe manner. Landlords can verify the engineer's Gas Safe Register registration by looking at their ID card, with an exclusive hologram.
It is not common for a tenant not to permit access to the rental property in order to conduct a Gas Safety Check. However it happens. In these instances, it is important that the landlord explains to the tenant why it is a obligation and how harmful carbon monoxide could be if not detected in time.
If the tenant is unwilling to let an engineer in the property, then the landlord could be tempted to issue a Section 21 notice that ends their tenancy. This should be followed by an explanation of the reason they're being removed. For example rent arrears, non-payment or serious damage to the property.
How do I get a gas safety certificate?
A gas safety certificate is necessary for landlords to show that their properties are in compliance with the requirements of the government. However, some tenants might refuse to let gas engineers enter their homes for this purpose - which is frustrating and unfair to landlords. Landlords should ensure tenants are aware that gas engineers aren't spies, and they only need to access their homes to complete a legally required document. This will reduce the number of tenants who are unable to give access to gas inspections.
Once the gas engineer has carried out the necessary checks and is confident that the appliances are safe for use they will issue an Landlord Gas Safety Record document. This is also commonly known as a CP12 which is a reference to CORGI Proforma 12. CORGI was once the Council for Registered Gas Installers However, it was replaced in April 2009 by the Gas Safe Register.
The landlord must provide a copy to their existing tenants within 28 days (about 4 weeks) after the check has been completed. A new tenant will receive an original copy of the check 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 connected to every storey of the property. Landlords can obtain more information about these requirements, including free leaflets and an Approved Code of Practice for the management of gas Installations and Appliances in a rental Property (Appendix 3), on the HSE website.
If a landlord is unable to gain access to their property to perform the necessary gas safety inspections, they may apply for a section 21 notice to expel tenants. It is important to note, however, that a notice under section 21 is only served if the landlord has made at least three attempts to gain access to conduct the gas safety inspection and has maintained records of the attempts. If a landlord fails to adhere to the proper procedure and tries evicting 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 certification?
Landlords need to have an official gas safety certificate to ensure the property they rent out is safe for tenants to live in. Gas engineers should conduct regular checks to ensure that all appliances are safe for use. This means that they must to ensure that the gas pipework and appliances are in good condition.
This helps to prevent any fires or accidents that could result from faulty appliances, while also reducing the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning which can happen when appliances aren't properly installed or maintained. Gas Safety Certificates are important for landlords to ensure they are up-to-date. They could be penalized for not doing so.
Landlords need to be able prove that they have carried out their annual gas safety inspections in time. This can be done by looking up their Gas Safe register online, or by obtaining an original copy of the most recent certificate from the engineer who inspected the property. The landlord must fix any appliances that are unsafe or faulty immediately to protect the safety of the tenant.
Some landlords have trouble convincing their tenants to grant access to their property in order to conduct gas safety checks. It may be because they feel that it violates their privacy, or they are fighting with their landlord. If this is the case, it is a good idea to ask the landlord to write an extremely clear letter explaining the reasons why gas safety checks are necessary and what they'll entail. This letter could be delivered via recorded delivery, and the tenant should have 14 days to reply.
If the tenant still refuses to let the landlord access then they should consider taking another step. This could include drafting a Section 21 notice or applying to the court for an injunction that will force them to allow access. This is a very serious option that should only be taken as an option last option.