Gas Safety Certificate For Landlords
It is essential to keep in mind that only landlords are responsible for the gas safety check. This is the case for landlords of residential dwellings and those who rent rooms or holiday accommodation.
Before they can put their homes for sale landlords must demonstrate that the pipes and appliances in their homes are safe. This can be done with an official gas safety certificate.
What is a gas safety certification?
If you're a tenant or homeowner, you must to comply with the law when it comes to maintaining your gas appliances and installation in good working order. This is why every property owner should be issued a gas safety certificate at least once a year. What is a gas safety certificate? Who needs one?
A Gas Safe Certificate, also known as a Landlord Gas Safety Record, is an official document issued by a certified Gas Safe engineer after carrying out a full examination of all gas appliances and flues that are in your rental property. The engineer will also verify that the ventilation passages in your home are clean to prevent dangerous carbon monoxide build-up.
The Gas Safe Certificate will detail the results of your yearly inspection. The Gas Safe Certificate will detail the results of your yearly inspection. It will list all gas appliances and installations that were inspected as well as their model, make, model and location within your home. The engineer will also state whether they found the appliance to be safe to use or not, and will detail any work that needs to 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 after the service. You should also provide it to tenants who are new when they begin their tenure. Failure to do this could result in fines or even criminal prosecution, so it's important to be aware of your obligations.
Although homeowners do not require a Gas Safety Certificate to live in safety, it's an excellent idea to obtain one each year. Not only will this give you peace of mind regarding the health of your heating and gas appliances, but it will aid in identifying any issues before they become serious. This can help you save money and stress in the long term.
Gas Safety Certificates are useful for potential buyers when you're selling your house. landlord gas safety certificate and boiler service can prove that you have taken care of all gas appliances and installations. It also speeds up the conveyancing as it doesn't require any additional checks.
Who requires 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. You'll need to arrange for regular inspections from an Gas Safe registered technician to ensure that everything is functioning properly.
After the inspection has been completed and you're ready to get the original copy of your Gas Safety Certificate to give to your tenants. This should be done before your tenants move into the property, or at the beginning of any new lease. You should keep an original copy for yourself as well as documentation of any maintenance you have carried out on gas appliances in your home.
Landlords are legally obliged to have their homes inspected for gas safety at least once every 12 months. This includes both the landlord's personal gas appliances and any appliances that are provided to tenants.
If you are a landlord with a valid certificate of gas safety, you may face heavy fines (upto PS6,000) or legal actions from your tenants, or even criminal charges. The greatest chance is that a tenant might be injured or even killed by faulty appliances in your rental property.
Only Gas Safe engineers are qualified to conduct a Gas Safety check. This is because only they are trained to safely examine gas appliances and installations. Landlords can verify if an engineer is registered with the Gas Safe Register by checking their ID card. It is unique. Hologram.
Although it's not uncommon for a tenant to deny access to their rental property in order to permit the Gas Safety Check, it is possible to do so. In these situations it is crucial for the landlord to explain to them the legal requirement and also that carbon monoxide can be very hazardous if not discovered promptly.
If a tenant is still refusing to let an engineer into their home the landlord should think about serving them with an Section 21 notice to end their lease. This should be accompanied by a description of the reason for being evicted, such as non-payment of rent or serious damage to the property.
How do I get an gas safety certificate?
A gas safety certificate is required for landlords to prove that their rented properties meet the requirements of the government. Some tenants will not allow a gas engineer to enter their home for this purpose and this can be a source of frustration for landlords. Landlords should make sure 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 help to reduce the number of tenants who are unable to allow access for gas inspections.
The Landlord Gas Safety Record is issued by the gas engineer after they have completed the necessary checks. It is also known as a CP12 which is a reference to CORGI Proforma 12. CORGI was previously the Council for Registered Gas Installers however, it was replaced in April 2009 by the Gas Safe Register.
The landlord has to give a copy to their existing tenants within 28 days (about 4 weeks) after the check is completed. A new tenant will be provided with a copy when signing the tenancy agreement. The landlord must also make sure that a carbon monoxide detector has been installed in every room used as living accommodation which has fixed combustion appliances (excluding gas cookers) and that smoke alarms are fitted to each storey of the property. The HSE website has more details for landlords, including free leaflets 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 their property to perform the necessary gas security checks, they can make use of a section 21 notice to evict the tenants, if appropriate. A notice of section 21 is only valid if the landlord made at least three unsuccessful attempts to gain access to the property for the gas safety test and kept a record of those attempts. If a landlord does not follow the proper procedure for entry and then tries to evict their tenants by illegal means, they could be accused of harassment and could face substantial fines from regulators.
Why do I require a gas safety certification?
Landlords must be issued an official certificate of gas safety to ensure that the property they lease is safe for tenants. This means they have to have regular checks performed by an approved gas engineer to ensure that the appliances are safe to use. This also means that they should ensure that the gas pipework, appliances and flues are all in good working order.
This helps to prevent any accidents or fires that may result from faulty appliances, as well as aiding in reducing the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning which can happen when an appliance isn't properly maintained or installed. It is essential that landlords are current with their Gas Safety certificates, as they could be fined if they don't.
Landlords must be able to demonstrate that their annual gas safety inspection was carried out in a timely manner. They can do this by checking their Gas Safe register online, or by obtaining an original copy of the most recent certificate from the engineer who visited the property. If any of the appliances are identified as dangerous or defective the landlord has to get them fixed immediately to protect the safety and health of the tenant.
Some landlords are unable to convince their tenants to grant them access to their properties in order to conduct 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 is an ideal idea to ask the landlord to write an explicit letter stating the reasons why gas safety checks are required 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 continues to refuse to let the landlord access then they should consider taking additional steps. This could include the use of a Section 21 Notice or applying an Injunction in court. This is a serious measure that should only be taken only as a last resort.