Gas Safety Certificate For Landlords
It is important to remember that it is only landlords that are accountable for gas safety checks. This is true for landlords who own residential properties as well as those who lease rooms or holiday accommodation.
Landlords must be able to demonstrate that the pipework, appliances and flues in their properties are safe before putting them on the market. This can be accomplished by obtaining a gas safety certificate.
What is a Gas Safety Certification?
You must adhere to the law, whether you are a landlord or homeowner, when it comes to maintaining your gas appliances and installations in a good condition. Every property owner must obtain their gas safety certificates at least once in a calendar year. What is a gas certificate? And who is the person who requires one?
A Gas Safe Certificate, also called a Landlord Gas Safety Record, is an official document that is issued by a certified Gas Safe engineer after carrying an exhaustive inspection of all the gas appliances and flues within your rental home. The engineer will also ensure that the ventilation passages in your property are free of obstruction 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. It will list each of the gas appliances and installations, along with their make, model, and location in your property. The engineer will also state whether they believe the appliances to be safe to use or not, and give details of the work that needs to be done to ensure the security of your tenants.
When you receive your Landlord Gas Safety Certificate, you'll need to give it to your tenants who are currently residing in your home within 28 days of receiving the service and provide it to any new tenants at the start of their tenancy. If you fail to comply with the requirements, you could be subject to fines or criminal prosecution.
Although homeowners don't need to have a Gas Safety Certificate, it's an excellent idea to have one on an annual basis. This will not only set your mind at ease regarding the state of your gas and heating appliances, but help you spot any issues in advance. This can save you time and money in the long run.
Gas Safety Certificates are extremely useful to prospective buyers when you're selling your home. They will show that you've taken good care of all of your gas appliances and installations. It also speeds up the conveyancing as it doesn't require additional checks.
Who requires an attestation of gas safety?
As a landlord, it's your responsibility to make sure that any gas appliances and flues that are in your rental home are safe for your tenants. You'll need to schedule regular inspections from a Gas Safe registered technician to ensure that everything is functioning correctly.
After the inspection is completed, you'll need a copy of your Gas Safety Certificate to give to your tenants. This should be done ideally before your tenants move in or at the start of a new tenancy. You should keep an original copy of the document for yourself and keep records of any maintenance carried out on gas appliances in your home.
Landlords are legally required to have their properties checked for gas safety at a minimum every 12 months. This includes both the landlord's own gas appliances as well as any appliances provided to tenants.
If you're a landlord that doesn't have a valid gas safety certificate and you're not licensed, you could be subject to huge penalties (up to a total of PS6,000) or court action from your tenants, or even an indictment. The biggest risk is that a tenant may be injured or even killed by defective appliances in your rental property.
Only Gas Safe engineers are qualified to perform a Gas Safety check. Only Gas Safe professionals are trained to inspect, service and test appliances and installations safely. Landlords can check an engineer's Gas Safe Register registration by looking at their ID card, which has unique holograms on it.
While it's uncommon for tenants to deny access to their rental property to permit an Gas Safety Check, it is possible to do so. In these situations, it is important that the landlord explains to the tenant why it is a obligation and how harmful carbon monoxide can be if it is not detected on time.
If the tenant is unwilling to let an engineer in the property, then the landlord could be tempted to issue an Section 21 notice that ends their lease. This should be accompanied by an explanation of why they're being removed. For instance, non-payment of rent or significant damage to the property.
How do I obtain an gas safety certificate?
A gas safety certificate is essential for landlords to show that their rented properties meet government regulations. However, some tenants may refuse to let gas engineers enter their homes for this reason - which is frustrating and unfair for landlords. Landlords should ensure tenants know that gas engineers aren't spies, and they only need access to their homes in order in order to fill out a legally required document. This will reduce the number tenants who deny access to gas inspections.
After the gas engineer has completed the necessary checks and is satisfied that all appliances are safe to use they will issue an Landlord Gas Safety Record document. It is also referred to as a CP12 that stands for CORGI Proforma 12. CORGI was previously the Council for Registered Gas Installers, but was replaced in April 2009 by the Gas Safe Register.
The landlord must give a copy to their existing tenants within 28 days (about 4 weeks) after the check is completed. A new tenant will receive an original copy of the check when they sign the tenancy agreement. The landlord must also make sure that a carbon monoxide detector has been installed in every room used as living accommodation that is equipped with fixed combustion appliances (excluding gas cookers) and that smoke alarms are connected to each floor of the property. The HSE website has more details for landlords, including free brochures 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 conduct the required gas security checks, they can make use of a section 21 notice to remove the tenants, if appropriate. A notice of section 21 is only valid if the landlord has 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 the landlord fails to adhere to the proper procedure and tries evicting tenants without a valid reason, they may be found guilty of harassment and could face heavy fines.
Why do I require a gas safety certificate?
Landlords must be issued a certificate of gas safety to ensure that the home they rent is safe for tenants. Gas engineers should conduct regular checks to ensure that all appliances are safe to use. This means that they must to ensure that the gas pipework and appliances are in good condition.
This will stop any fires, accidents or carbon monoxide poisoning that can be caused by defective equipment. It is important that landlords keep up to date with their Gas Safety certificates, as they can be fined if they don't.
Landlords must be able to prove that their annual gas safety inspection was completed in a timely manner. They can prove this by looking up their Gas Safe register online, or by obtaining the most recent certificate from the person who visited the property. If any of the appliances show as unsafe or inoperable the landlord should have them fixed immediately to protect the safety and health of the tenant.
gas safety certificate near me may be having difficulty persuading tenants to let them access the house for gas safety inspections. It could be because they feel that it violates their privacy, or are having a dispute 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 will entail. The letter can be sent via recorded delivery and will give the tenant 14 days to respond.
If the tenant still refuses to let the landlord access then they should consider taking additional steps. This could involve writing an Section 21 notice or applying to the court for an injunction to force them to allow access. This is a serious step that should only be considered in the last option.