Gas Safety Certificate For Landlords
It is crucial to remember that it is only landlords who have responsibility for gas safety checks. This is true for landlords of residential dwellings and those who rent rooms or holiday accommodation.
Before they can put their property on the market landlords must prove that the pipework and appliances in their homes are safe. Gas safety certificates can help in achieving this.
What is a Gas Safety Certification?
Whether you're a landlord or homeowner, you need to comply with the law in regards to maintaining your gas appliances and installations in good functioning order. Every property owner should obtain their gas safety certificates at least once per calendar year. What exactly is a gas safety certification? Who is the one who needs one?
Gas Safe Certificates, also called Landlord Gas Safety Record are official documents issued by an official Gas Safe engineer who has completed a thorough inspection of your rental property's gas appliances and flues. The engineer will also make sure that all ventilation passages are free of obstructions within your rental property to prevent the risk of carbon dioxide build-up.
The Gas Safe Certificate will provide you with the results of your annual inspection. what is a gas safety certificate will detail the results of your yearly inspection. It will list all the gas appliances and installations that were inspected as well as their model, make and model, as well as the location of your property. The engineer will determine whether the appliances are safe to use, and provide information about any work required to ensure the safety of your tenants.
You will have to give your Landlord Gas Safety Certificate to your tenants within 28 days of the service. You should also provide it to new tenants when they start their lease. If you don't follow the rules, you could face charges or fines.
Although homeowners don't require a Gas Safety Certificate to live in safety, it's a good thing to get one every year. This will not only give you peace of mind regarding the condition of your heating and gas appliances, but it could also help you spot any problems early on. This can help you save money and time in the long run.
Gas Safety Certificates are extremely beneficial to potential buyers when you're selling your home. They can prove that you've taken care of all your gas appliances and installations. It also speeds the process of conveyancing since it doesn't require any additional inspections.
Who is in need of a gas safety certificate?
As a landlord, it's your responsibility to ensure that any gas appliances or flues in your rental property are safe for your tenants. You'll have to arrange for regular inspections from an Gas Safe registered technician to ensure that everything is functioning properly.
You'll need to provide your tenants a copy of the Gas Safety Certificate once the inspection has been completed. Ideally, this will be completed before your new tenants move in, or at the start of any new tenancies. Keep the copy of the document for yourself, as well as documentation of any maintenance you have performed on the gas appliances that are in your property.
Landlords are legally required to have their properties inspected for gas safety at least once every 12 months. This includes the landlord's gas appliances and any appliances that are provided to tenants.
If you are a landlord without an official certificate of gas safety, you could be subject to severe fines (upto PS6,000) and legal action from your tenants or even criminal charges. The biggest chance is that a tenant could be injured or even killed by faulty appliances in your rental property.
The only person who can conduct the Gas Safety Check are Gas Safe engineers. This is because they have been trained to safely inspect and service gas appliances and installations. Landlords can verify the engineer's Gas Safe Register registration by looking for their ID card, that has unique holograms on it.
While it's uncommon for a tenant to refuse access to their rental property to allow a Gas Safety Check, it could happen. In these instances it is crucial for the landlord to explain why this is a legal requirement and how carbon monoxide is extremely hazardous if not discovered promptly.
If the tenant refuses to let an engineer in, then the landlord may decide to issue an Section 21 notice that ends their lease. This must be accompanied by a description of the reason they're being evicted, such as non-payment of rent or causing serious damage to the property.
How do I get a gas safety certificate?
Landlords need a gas safety certificate to ensure their rental properties meet the regulations of the government. However, some tenants may refuse to let gas engineers into their residences for this purpose which is a source of frustration and unfair to landlords. Landlords need to make sure tenants are aware that gas engineers aren't spying and that they are only required access to their homes in order in order to fill out a legally required document. This will decrease the number of tenants who refuse access to gas inspections.
The Landlord Gas Safety Record is issued by the gas engineer once they have completed the necessary checks. It is also referred to as a CP12 that stands for CORGI Proforma 12. CORGI used to be the Council for Registered Gas Installers however, it was replaced in April 2009 by the Gas Safe Register.
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 a copy on signing the tenancy agreement. The landlord should also make sure that a carbon dioxide detector is installed in each room that has fixed combustion appliances, excluding gas cookers. Smoke alarms must be installed on every floor of the property. The HSE website has more details for landlords, such as free leaflets and an Approved Code of Practice to Manage Gas Installations and Appliances within a rental Property.
If a landlord is unable to gain access to their property to conduct the required gas safety inspections, they may make use of the section 21 notice to expel tenants. A section 21 notice is only valid if the landlord made at least three unsuccessful attempts to gain access to the property to conduct the gas safety test and kept records of the unsuccessful attempts. If a landlord fails follow the proper procedure for entry and attempts to expel tenants using unlawful means, they could be found guilty of harassment and could face substantial fines from regulators.
Why do I need a gas safety certificate?
Landlords must have an official gas safety certificate to ensure the property they lease out is safe for tenants to live in. This means that they must have regular checks performed by an approved gas engineer to ensure that all appliances are safe to use. Also, they must ensure that the gas pipes, appliances and flues are all in good working order.
This helps prevent fires or accidents that could be caused by defective appliances, as well as aiding in reducing the chance of carbon monoxide poisoning which can occur if an appliance isn't properly installed or maintained. Gas Safety Certificates are important for landlords to ensure they are up-to-date. They could be fined when they don't.
Landlords must be able to demonstrate that their annual gas safety inspection was carried out in a timely manner. You can verify your Gas Safe Register online or request a copy from the engineer who visited the property. If any of the appliances are identified as being dangerous or faulty, the landlord must get them fixed immediately to protect the safety and health of the tenant.
Some landlords may have trouble persuading their tenants to let them access the house for gas safety inspections. This could be due to a variety of reasons, such as the fact that they feel it's a violation of privacy, or they are currently in a dispute with their landlord. If this is the case, it's recommended to ask the landlord to write a strongly worded letter explaining why the gas safety checks are necessary and what they'll entail. This letter could be sent via recorded delivery and the tenant should be given 14 days to respond.
If the tenant is still refusing to let the landlord access then they should consider taking another step. This might include writing an Section 21 notice or applying to the court for an injunction to compel them to allow access. But, this is a serious step which should be used only as a last resort.