A quick guide about the Landlord Gas Safety Certificate
If you are a Landlord, Letting Agent or Housing Association, you have important responsibilities. Annual inspections of gas appliances in the property/ies are necessary. This includes the boiler, over or hob, and also any fires or heaters. You must have a valid gas safety certificate at all times.
Gas safety should be your number one priority before you even consider letting out a property to anybody. Under the Gas Safety (Installation & Use) Regulations 1998, all landlords are legally obliged to carry out a full service of the gas appliances and flues in each property once a year.
Only a Gas Safe Registered engineer can carry out the inspection of all the gas appliances within the rental property. A Landlord Gas Safety Certificate will be provided after a positive inspection result. A copy must remain in the property for tenants to look at.
The landlord gas safety check is extremely important because it is not only a legal requirement; it protects tenants from the possible dangers of faulty gas appliances too. This includes potential carbon monoxide leaks and fires. Landlords should never take safety for granted. They may even want to ensure that carbon monoxide detectors are in the property.
Penalties for not being Gas Safe
Landlords not taking gas safety seriously put people’s lives at risk. As a result, they will face serious prosecution if found negligent and may even result in a prison sentence.
A fine of up to £6,000 per appliance or six months imprisonment are the standard penalties. If there is an accident at the property that results in serious injury or death, a charge of manslaughter may be forthcoming.
In addition to the penalties, landlord insurance may be invalidated if a Gas Safe Certificate is out of date. Therefore if they did need to make a claim they may not be able to.
With the introduction of such a strict law, it’s hopeful that gas appliance work carried out by illegal engineers decreases dramatically. Therefore homes will be much safer for tenants.
The Landlord Gas Safety Certificate is very important. It shows you that an inspection has been carried out and that all pipework and gas appliances are working safely. The certificate will also inform you when your next gas safety inspection is due. It is crucial to have a professional engineer do a follow up check before the current certificate is invalid. It is best for the landlord, agent or property manager to schedule the inspection in advance.
Warm only work with Gas Safe Registered engineers, so we can provide you with a Landlord Gas Safety Certificate if required. Call 0800 311 8990 for more information. Prices start from as little as £45.
