Gas Safety Certificate For Landlords
It is important to remember that it is only landlords who are responsible for gas safety inspections. This applies to landlords of residential dwellings as well as those who rent out rooms or holiday accommodation.
Landlords must demonstrate that the pipes and flues, as well as appliances, in their properties are safe prior to putting them on the market. Gas safety certificates can help in achieving this.
What is a Gas Safety Certificate?
If you're a tenant or homeowner, you must to comply with the law when it comes to maintaining your gas appliances and installations in good working order. Every property owner should obtain their gas safety certificates at least once per calendar year. What is a gas safety certificate? Who really needs one?
A Gas Safe Certificate, also known as a Landlord Gas Safety Record, is an official document issued by a licensed Gas Safe engineer after carrying an extensive examination of all gas appliances and flues that are in your rental home. The engineer will also ensure that the ventilation passages of your home are clean to avoid the risk of carbon monoxide accumulating in your home.
The Gas Safe Certificate will provide you with the results of your annual inspection. The Gas Safe Certificate will detail the results of your annual inspection. It will list all gas appliances and installations that were inspected and their manufacturer, model and location within your property. The engineer will state whether the appliances are safe to use, and provide information about any work needed to ensure your tenants' safety.
When you receive your Landlord Gas Safety Certificate, you'll need to present it to your tenants who are currently residing in your home within 28 days of receiving the service and give it to any new tenants at the start of their tenure. If you don't comply, you could face penalties or fines.
Although homeowners do not require a Gas Safety Certificate to live safely, it is still a good thing to get one each year. Not only will this make you feel more comfortable about the state of your gas and heating appliances, but it could also help you spot any issues before they become serious. This can save you lots of time and money in the long in the long.
Gas Safety Certificates are useful to prospective buyers when you're selling your house. They will show that you have taken care of all your gas appliances and installations. In addition, it can accelerate the process of selling as it will not require additional checks.
Who needs a gas safety certificate?
As a landlord, it's your duty to ensure that all flues and gas appliances in your rental property are safe. This means that you'll need to schedule regular inspections with a Gas Safe registered engineer to make sure everything is in good working order.
After the inspection is completed You'll need a copy of your Gas Safety Certificate to give to your tenants. It is best to have this done before your current tenants move in or at the start of any new leases. Keep an original copy for yourself and keep records of any maintenance performed on the gas appliances in your property.
Landlords must have their properties inspected for gas safety at minimum once every 12months. This includes both the landlord's personal gas appliances as well as any appliances that are provided to tenants.
If you are a landlord with a valid gas certificate safety, you could face severe penalties (upto PS6,000) or legal action from your tenants or even criminal charges. The most significant risk is that one of your tenants could be injured or killed due to malfunctioning appliances in your rental property.
Only Gas Safe engineers are qualified to perform a Gas Safety check. Only Gas Safe engineers are trained to check and service appliances and installations in a safe manner. Landlords can verify if an engineer is registered with the Gas Safe Register by checking their ID card. It has a unique Hologram.
Although it's not uncommon for a tenant to refuse access to their rental property to permit a gas safe installation certificate Safety Check, it is possible to do so. In these instances, it's important for the landlord to explain to the tenant why this is a legal requirement and how carbon monoxide is extremely dangerous if not detected at the right time.
If a tenant is still refusing to let an engineer into their home the landlord should think about serving them with the Section 21 notice to end their lease. This should be followed by an explanation of the reason they're being removed. For instance the non-payment of rent, or severe damage to the property.
How do homeowners need a gas safety certificate I get a gas safety certification?
A gas safety certificate is necessary for landlords to prove their rented properties meet government regulations. Some tenants will refuse to allow a gas engineer to enter their house for this purpose which can be frustrating for landlords. Landlords should ensure tenants know that gas engineers aren't spies, and they only need to access their homes in order to fill out a legally required document. This will reduce the number of tenants who are unable to grant access to gas inspections.
Once the gas engineer has conducted the necessary checks and is satisfied that all appliances are safe to use, they will issue an Landlord Gas Safety Record document. This document is also known as a CP12 which stands for 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 their current tenants with a copy of the document within 28 days (about four weeks) of the check being completed and give a new tenant an original copy when they sign the lease. The landlord must also ensure that a carbon dioxide detector has been installed in every room that has fixed combustion appliances, but not gas cookers. Smoke alarms must be installed on every floor of the property. Landlords can find more information on 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 gas safety certificate cost is unable to gain access to their property to conduct the required gas safety inspections, they can make use of the section 21 notice if necessary to evict tenants. A notice of section 21 is only valid if the landlord has made at least three unsuccessful attempts to gain access to the property to conduct the gas safety certificate and boiler service safety test and kept a record of the unsuccessful attempts. If a landlord does not follow the correct procedure for entry and then tries to evict their tenants by unlawful means, they could be found guilty of harassment and face hefty fines from regulatory bodies.
What is the reason I need a gas safety certificate?
Landlords require a gas safety certificate to ensure that the home they rent out is safe for tenants to reside in. Gas engineers must perform regular checks to make sure that all appliances are safe for use. This means that they must to make sure that the gas pipelines and appliances are in good condition.
This helps prevent accidents or fires that could be caused by defective appliances, as well as aiding in reducing the chance of carbon monoxide poisoning which can occur when an appliance isn't properly installed or maintained. It is important that landlords are up to date with their Gas Safety certificates, as they could be fined for not doing so.
Landlords need to show that their annual gas safety check was completed on time. You can check your Gas Safe Register online or get a copy from the engineer who visited the property. The landlord must fix any appliances that are unsafe or malfunctioning immediately to ensure the safety of the tenant.
Some landlords have difficulty convincing their tenants to grant access to the property in order to conduct gas safety checks. This could be due to a variety of reasons, such as the fact that they feel it's an invasion of privacy or they are currently in a dispute with their landlord. If this is the case, it's recommended to ask the landlord safety certificate to write an extremely clear letter explaining the reasons why gas safety checks are necessary and what they will entail. This can be sent by recorded delivery and should give the tenant 14 days to reply.
If the tenant is unwilling to allow access to the landlord, they must take further action. This could include a Section 21 Notice or applying to the court for an Injunction. However, this is a serious step that should only be considered as an option last resort.