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Landlords Gas Safety Certificates & Gas Safety Inspections
In 1996 the government made it law that all landlords who rent part, or all of a property, must have all the gas appliances & pipe work checked & a certificate to prove it which must be renewed every 12 months.
Conservenergy offer a landlords & property agents gas safety inspection service throughout the East Midlands.
£60 + VAT for the first two appliances
£25 + VAT per appliance thereafter
We also offer discounts for multiple properties
If you are a landlord with your gas appliances unchecked, contact us now to organise your Landlords Gas Safety Certificate (CP 12)
What does a Landlord Gas Safety Inspection Include?
A GasSafe registered engineer will check the following points during a Landlord gas safety inspection:
1. Check the appliance for gas tightness.
2. Check standing & working pressure if the test points available.
3. Check burner pressure / gas rate against manufacturers data plate.
4. Check for satisfactory provision of all necessary ventilation.
5. Test flue flow to ensure removal of combustion products.
6. Check satisfactory operation of all the flame failure devices.
7. Check for physical stability, presence & effectiveness of stability brackets.
8. Investigate any evidence of unsafe operation & report to a responsible person. An appliance can not be deemed as having been checked, until the above has been completed.
9. For a Landlords Safety Record inspection a tightness test of the full system should be added to the above.
Landlord Obligations
Landlords or their agents have a statutory duty to:
Ensure that fittings & flues are maintained in a safe condition. That means that they should have gas installations & appliances serviced regularly & maintain a record of the service.
Have a safety check carried out on all the gas appliances & flues annually or within 12 months before the start of a new tenancy.
Check all gas installations & appliances immediately before the start of any new tenancy, even if the gas safety certificate is still current.
Have all installation, maintenance & safety checks carried out by a GasSafe registered engineer.
Keep a record of each safety check for at least 2 years – the GasSafe installer will issue this.
Give a copy of the GasSafe installer’s safety check report to each current tenant within 28 days of the safety check, or to new tenants prior to occupation.
The statutory regulations are:
Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. These regulations are enforced by the Health and Safety Executive.
What your property should have:
Safe, well maintained gas installations & appliances
A current Landlord Gas Test Safety Certificate
A record of regular installation & appliance servicing
Landlords should:
Ensure the gas meter & cut-off valve are easily accessible to the tenants.
Make it clear to their tenants that they should not carry out their own repairs to any of the gas appliances.
Ensure the tenants know that they must turn off the gas supply to the property and call TRANSCO on 0800 111 999 if they suspect a gas or carbon monoxide leak.
Advise their tenants not to use any gas appliance they think is unsafe.
Advise their tenants that they (the Landlord) will need to get access to the property to carry out the necessary safety checks & maintenance to the gas appliances (with reasonable notice).
Landlords Shouldn’t:
Allow anyone other than a GasSafe registered engineer to maintain gas installations or appliances
The landlord & tenants’ obligations are statutory requirements & a criminal offence would occur if they were not met.
What responsibilities does the landlord have?
All private landlords have to have a valid GasSafe gas safety certificate for all the gas equipment in the accommodation
they rent out. Gas safety certificates can only be given by GasSafe registered gas engineers and are valid for 12 months or until the tenancy changes hands. In order to give a gas safety certificate the engineer has to check:
The gas supply
The gas appliances
The gas flues
Ventilation
Landlords must keep copies of the inspection report & certificate & should keep records of any work carried out.
If the gas engineer notices any problems the landlord has to fix them. If a landlord fails to do this or fails to provide a gas safety certificate it is a criminal offence. The Health and Safety Executive can prosecute.
If the gas engineer identifies any problems with the gas equipment, the landlord has to get a GasSafe registered gas engineer to carry out the works required. The gas engineer has the power to seal off any faulty equipment or request the gas company (TRANSCO) to cut off the supply to the property.
What about new gas appliances?
New appliances must always be fitted & Commissioned by registered GasSafe engineer
What if the landlord doesn’t comply?
If a landlord does not have a valid gas safety certificate, or does not do works required, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has the power to prosecute. Failure to follow gas safety requirements is a criminal offence and can be punished by fines or imprisonment.
How can tenants minimise the risks?
There are things that you can do to minimise risks to you in your rented home, such as:
Report any faulty equipment or problems to the landlord immediately.
Make sure that smoke alarms are fitted and in working order.
Use carbon monoxide detectors.
Plan what to do in case of fire & be aware of all escape routes.
Make sure that exit routes are clear.
Keep electrical & gas appliances in good condition.
If you suspect there is a gas leak, contact the gas supplier immediately.
Anyone who rents out accommodation for money is a landlord. That means if you rent out a room during a local sporting fixture (eg Wimbledon) you are bound by the same legislation as someone who owns and rents out a number of properties permanently.
Tenants should also consult this section to check that the accommodation they are renting meets all legal requirements.
It is the landlords responsibility to gain access to a property to get the safety checks done. If you have difficulty getting access, then make sure you keep a record to show that you’ve tried everything in your power to get the safety check carried out.
Carbon Monoxide Safety
While not required by law it is also recommend that you fit carbon monoxide detectors. These should be ‘Kite’ marked. Fit them in each room with a gas appliance.
In bedrooms and bathrooms all gas appliances must be of the room-sealed type, which means that potentially deadly carbon monoxide fumes could not escape into the room. They must also be located out of reach of sanitary ware if connected to electricity supply.
Tenants should be told where the gas meter is located & how they can turn off the gas in the event of a gas leak.
All tenants should also be provided with the number of Transco’s 24 hour emergency service in case of gas leaks which is 0800 111999.
Electrical Safety
From 1st January 1997, new regulations require landlords to ensure electrical equipment is safe & in particular, does not carry a risk of death or injury to persons or damage to property. Check that the landlord has had all wiring & electrical appliances inspected by an NICEIC, ECA or approved competent person. Ask to see the Electrical Safety Inspection Report.
(N.B. All electrical appliances should be tested for safety annually. Fixed installations & wiring should be tested for safety every five years.)
Remember - never attempt to repair electrical faults yourself. Always report the fault as soon as possible in accordance with the method agreed with the landlord.
The Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994 & the Plugs and Sockets etc. (Safety) Regulations 1994 stipulate that all electrical equipment in tenanted residential properties must be safe.
You don’t need to have annual safety checks carried out, as you do with gas appliances, but you should get electrical equipment and wiring checked regularly by a qualified electrician.
There shouldn’t be any damage to electrical flexes or plugs, which should be British Standard approved & all appliances should be earthed properly. All fuses should be of the correct type & rating.
Make sure that the operating instructions and any safety notices for all electrical equipment is readily available.
The person responsible for the property should know where the main fuse box is located and how to turn off the electricity supply.
Fire Safety
Fire safety regulations, as such, only apply to Households in Multiple Occupation, however all landlords are under
common law duty to make sure their properties are safe, so it is as well to follow all fire safety advice.
All properties built since June 1992 are bound by building regulations which state that mains-operated interconnected smoke alarms must be fitted on every level of the property.
However, even in older properties you should provide smoke alarms and it would be much easier, in terms of maintenance, to have mains-operated ones fitted.
If you only fit battery-operated smoke alarms then you need to make arrangements for them to be tested regularly & for the batteries to be changed at least annually.
You need to make sure that there are proper emergency exits, particularly if the property is on more than two floors,
& that emergency exits & passageways are always kept serviceable.
Provide all tenants with a fire escape plan so they know what to do in the event of a fire.
Fit fire extinguishers on every level of your property & make sure your tenants know how to use them & what types of fire they are suitable for. Make sure they are tested at least once a year.
If there is a kitchen used by a number of tenants, provide a British Standard approved fire blanket as well.
The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire Safety) Regulations apply to all residential properties which are let, & cover sofas, beds, headboards, children’s furniture, garden furniture suitable for use indoors, scatter cushions & pillows & stretch or loose covers for furniture.
All of these items must be fire-resistant & must have labels to say so. Any of these items manufactured since March 1990 are likely to comply.
Non- compliance can lead to hefty fines or imprisonment & even charges of manslaughter in the event of a fatal accident.
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Landlords Certificates