Gas Safety Certificate For Landlords
It is important to keep in mind that only landlords are responsible for the gas safety inspection. This applies to landlords of residential dwellings as well as those who rent rooms or holiday accommodations.
Landlords must prove that the pipes as well as the flues, appliances and appliances in their properties are safe before putting them up for sale. Gas safety certificates can assist you achieve this.
What is a gas safety certificate?
You must adhere to the law, regardless of whether you're a landlord or a homeowner, when it comes to maintaining your gas appliances and installations in good in good working order. This is why every property owner needs to be issued a gas safety certificate at least once per year. But what exactly is a gas safety certificate? And who is gas safety certificate landlord who requires 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 an exhaustive inspection of all gas appliances and flues within your rental home. The engineer will also test that the ventilation passages in your properties are clear to avoid dangerous carbon monoxide build-up.
The Gas Safe Certificate will provide you with the results of your annual inspection. It will list all the gas appliances and installations, as well as their make, model, and location in your home. The engineer will inform you whether the appliances are safe to use and will provide information on the work required to ensure your tenants' safety.
When you receive your Landlord Gas Safety Certificate, you'll have to provide it to your tenants who are currently residing in your home within 28 days of the service and also give it to any new tenants at the beginning of their tenure. Failure to do so could result in fines, or even criminal prosecution, so it's important to take your responsibilities seriously.
Although homeowners don't require a Gas Safety Certificate to live safely, it is still a good thing to get one each year. This will not only put your mind at ease about the state of your heating and gas appliances, but will help you spot any issues in advance. This can save you money and time in the long-term.
If you're thinking of selling your house, the Gas Safety Certificate will prove very beneficial to potential buyers since it can prove that you've taken care of your gas appliances and installations. It can also speed the process of conveyancing since it doesn't require any additional inspections.
Who requires a certificate of gas safety?
As a landlord, it's your responsibility to make sure that all gas appliances and flues in your rental property are safe for your tenants. This means that you'll need to schedule regular inspections with an Gas Safe registered engineer to ensure that everything is in good working order.
You'll need to give your tenants a copy the Gas Safety Certificate once the inspection has been completed. This should be done ideally prior to the time your tenants move into the property, or at the beginning of any new tenancy. It is also recommended to keep the certificate for yourself as well as any records of any maintenance work that you have done on your property's gas appliances.
Landlords are required to have their properties inspected for gas safety at minimum every 12 months. This includes both the landlord's personal gas appliances as well as any appliances provided to tenants.
If you're a landlord that doesn't have an official gas safety certificate and you're not licensed, you could be subject to hefty fines (up to a maximum of PS6,000) or court action from your tenants, or even the possibility of a criminal charge. The most significant risk, however, is that one of your tenants might be injured or killed as a result of malfunctioning appliances in your rental property.
The only people who can conduct a Gas Safety Check are Gas Safe engineers. They are the only ones who have been trained to safely examine gas appliances and installations. Landlords can check the engineer's Gas Safe Register registration by looking at their ID card, that has unique holograms on it.
Although it's not uncommon for a tenant to refuse access to their rental property to permit an Gas Safety Check, it can happen. In these instances, it's important for the landlord to explain why this is a legal requirement and that carbon monoxide is extremely hazardous if not discovered at the right time.
If the tenant is unwilling to let an engineer in, then the landlord may decide to issue an Section 21 notice that ends their lease. This should be accompanied with an explanation of why they're being evicted. For instance, non-payment of rent or serious damage to the property.
How do I obtain an gas safety certificate?
Landlords need an official gas safety certificate to ensure that their rental properties comply with the regulations of the government. However, some tenants may refuse to allow gas engineers into their residences for this purpose - which is frustrating and unfair to landlords. Landlords must ensure that tenants know that gas engineers aren't spies and only need to access their homes to sign a legally-required document. This will help reduce the number of tenants who are unable to access gas inspections.
The Landlord Gas Safety Record is issued by the gas engineer once they have completed the necessary checks. This is also commonly known as a CP12 that stands for 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 must provide their current tenants with a copy the document within 28 days (about four weeks) of the time the check is completed. The landlord must also provide a new tenant an original copy when they sign the tenancy agreement. The landlord should ensure that a carbon dioxide detector has been installed in every room with fixed combustion appliances, excluding gas cookers. Smoke alarms should be installed on each floor of the property. The HSE website has more information 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 not able to gain access to their property to carry out the necessary gas safety checks, they may use a section 21 notice to remove the tenants, if appropriate. It is important to keep in mind that a section 21 notice is only served when the landlord has attempted at least three times to gain entry for the gas safety inspection and has kept records of the attempts. If a landlord fails follow the proper procedure for entry and tries to evict tenants through unlawful means, they could be found guilty of harassment and face hefty fines from regulatory bodies.
Why do gas safety certificate for landlords require a gas safety certificate?
Landlords need to have an approved certificate of gas safety to ensure that the property they rent is safe for tenants. Gas engineers must perform regular checks to ensure all appliances are safe to use. This means that they must to ensure that the gas pipelines and appliances are in good working condition.
This will help to prevent any accidents, fires, or carbon monoxide poisoning that can be caused by defective equipment. Gas Safety Certificates are important for landlords to ensure they are up-to-date. They could be fined when they don't.
Landlords need to be able prove that they have carried out their annual gas safety checks in a timely manner. You can check your Gas Safe Register online or obtain a copy from an engineer that visited the property. The landlord has to fix any appliances that are dangerous or faulty immediately to protect tenant's safety.
Some landlords may be having difficulty persuading tenants to allow them access the property for gas safety inspections. It may be because they feel that it is an invasion of their privacy, or they are fighting with their landlord. It's recommended that the landlord write a letter which he explains the reason why the gas safety check is needed and what it's going to involve. This letter could be sent via recorded delivery and the tenant will be given 14 days to respond.
If the tenant still refuses to let the landlord access then they should consider taking another step. This could involve writing a Section 21 notice or applying to the court for an injunction to force them to grant access. This is a serious step that should only be considered only as a last resort.