Gas Safety Certificate For Landlords
It is important to remember that only landlords are responsible for ensuring the safety of gas. This is true for landlords of residential dwellings as well as those who lease rooms or holiday accommodation.
Landlords must demonstrate that the pipework, appliances and flues within their properties are safe before they put them up for sale. Gas safety certificates can assist in achieving this.
What is a Gas Safety Certificate?
You must comply with the law, whether you're a landlord or homeowner, when it comes to keeping your gas appliances and installations in a good condition. Every property owner should obtain their gas safety certificates at least once a calendar year. What is a gas certificate? Who needs one?
A Gas Safe Certificate, also called a Landlord Gas Safety Record, is an official document issued by a qualified Gas Safe engineer after carrying an exhaustive examination of all gas appliances and flues within your rental home. The engineer will also make sure that all ventilation channels are in good working order in your rental properties to prevent dangerous carbon dioxide build-up.
The Gas Safe Certificate will detail the results of your yearly inspection. It will list all of the gas appliances and installations, including their model, brand and location within your property. The engineer will then indicate whether they found the appliance to be safe for use or not, and detail any work that must be done to ensure the safety of your tenants.
You will have to give your Landlord Gas Safety Certificate to your tenants within 28 days following the service. You must also give it to new tenants when they start their tenancy. In the event of a delay, it could result in fines or criminal prosecution, so it's crucial to be aware of your obligations.
While homeowners don't require an Gas Safety Certificate, it's still a good idea to have one annually. This will not just put your mind at ease about the condition of your heating and gas appliances, but also help you detect any problems early. This can save you a lot of money and stress in the long run.
Gas Safety Certificates are extremely useful to prospective buyers when you're selling your house. They can show that you've taken good care of all gas appliances and installations. It can also speed up the conveyancing as it does not require any additional inspections.
Who is in need of an official certificate of gas safety?
As a landlord, it's your responsibility to make sure that any gas appliances or flues within your rental property are safe for your tenants. You'll have to arrange for regular inspections by a Gas Safe registered technician to ensure that everything is working correctly.
After the inspection is completed You'll need a copy of your Gas Safety Certificate to give to your tenants. This should be done ideally prior to your tenants moving into the property, or at the beginning of a new lease. You should keep the copy for yourself and keep documentation of any maintenance you have done to the gas appliances in your property.
Landlords are legally required to have their properties checked for gas safety at least once every 12 months. This applies to all properties that have gas appliances owned by the landlord as well as any appliances that are available to tenants.
If you are a landlord with an official certificate of gas safety, you could face massive penalties (upto PS6,000), legal actions from your tenants, or even criminal charges. The greatest risk is that a tenant may be injured or even killed by faulty appliances at your rental property.
Only Gas Safe engineers are qualified to conduct the Gas Safety check. They are the only ones who have been trained to safely examine gas appliances and installations. click through the following page can check the engineer's Gas Safe Register registration by looking for their ID card with unique holograms on it.
Although it's not uncommon for a tenant to deny access to their rental property to permit a Gas Safety Check, it could happen. In these situations, it's important for the landlord to explain to the tenant why this is a legal requirement and how carbon monoxide could be extremely hazardous if not discovered in time.
If the tenant is unwilling to let an engineer in and the landlord is not willing to let an engineer in, then the landlord might be tempted to issue a Section 21 notice that ends their tenancy. This should be accompanied with an explanation of the reason they're being removed. For example rent arrears, non-payment or serious damage to the property.
How do I obtain a gas safety certificate?
A gas safety certificate is required for landlords to prove their properties are in compliance with government regulations. Some tenants will not let a gas engineer into their residence for this reason which can be frustrating for landlords. Landlords should try to convey to their tenants that gas engineers are not spies and only need access to complete an essential legally-required piece of documentation. This will reduce the number tenants who refuse access to gas inspections.
The Landlord Gas Safety Record is issued by the gas engineer after the required 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 is required to provide their existing tenants with a copy the document within 28 days (about four weeks) of the check being completed. They must also give the new tenant one upon signing the tenancy agreement. The landlord must also make sure that a carbon monoxide detector is installed in each room used for living space that has fixed combustion appliances (excluding gas cookers) and that smoke alarms are connected to every storey of the property. The HSE website has more details for landlords, including free brochures along with an Approved Code of Practice to manage gas Installations and Appliances in a Rental Property.
If a landlord is unable to gain access to the property to perform the necessary gas safety inspections, they can apply for a section 21 notice to evict tenants. It is important to note that a section 21 notice is only served when the landlord has had at least three attempts to gain access for the gas safety inspection and has maintained records of the attempts. If the landlord does not adhere to the proper procedure and attempts to evict their tenants unlawfully they could be found guilty of harassing and face heavy fines.
Why do I require a gas safety certificate?
Landlords need to have a gas safety certification to ensure that the property they rent out is safe for tenants to reside in. This means they have to get regular checks done by a registered gas engineer to ensure that any appliances are safe to use. This also means that they must make sure the gas pipework, appliances, and flues are all in good working order.
This helps to prevent any fires or accidents that may result from faulty appliances, in addition to aiding in reducing the chance of carbon monoxide poisoning which can happen when an appliance isn't properly maintained or installed. It is crucial that landlords stay up to date with their Gas Safety certificates, as they can be fined if they don't.
Landlords must be able to demonstrate that they carried out their annual gas safety checks in time. They can do this by reviewing their Gas Safe register online, or by getting an original copy of the most recent certificate from the engineer who inspected the property. If any of the appliances are identified as dangerous or defective the landlord should have them repaired as soon as possible to protect the tenant's health and safety.
Some landlords have trouble convincing their tenants to grant access to the property in order to conduct gas safety checks. It could be because they believe that it would violate their privacy or are in a dispute with their landlord. It is an ideal idea to request the landlord write a letter in which he explains why the gas safety check is necessary and what it will entail. The letter can be delivered via recorded delivery and the tenant should have 14 days to respond.
If the tenant does not give access to the landlord, they should take further action. This could involve writing an Section 21 notice or applying to the court for an injunction that will force them to grant access. However, this is a serious step that should only be considered as a last resort.