Gas Safety Certificate For Landlords
It is important to keep in mind that it is only landlords that are accountable for gas safety inspections. This is the case for landlords of residential dwellings and those who lease rooms or holiday accommodation.
Before they can put their property on the market landlords must show that the plumbing and appliances they have installed in their homes are safe. Gas safety certificates can assist you achieve this.
What is a Gas Safety Certificate?
Whether you're a landlord or homeowner, you must to follow the law in regards to keeping your gas appliances and installations in good functioning order. This is why every property owner must be issued a gas safety certificate at least once per year. What is a gas certificate? And who needs 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 examination of all gas appliances and flues within your rental home. The engineer will also ensure that all ventilation pathways are free of obstructions in your rental property to prevent dangerous carbon dioxide build-up.
The Gas Safe Certificate will provide you with the results of your annual inspection. It will list all the gas appliances that were inspected and installations, including their make, model and location within your home. The engineer will inform you whether the appliances are safe to use and provide details on any work needed to ensure your tenants' safety.
You must provide your Landlord Gas Safety Certificate to your tenants within 28 days following the service. You must also give it to new tenants when they begin their lease. In the event of a delay, it could result in fines, or even criminal prosecution, so it's crucial to consider your responsibilities seriously.
Although homeowners do not require a Gas Safety Certificate to live safely, it is still recommended to obtain one every year. Not only will this give you peace of mind about the state of your gas and heating appliances, but it can aid in identifying any issues early. This can help you save money and stress in the long term.
If you're planning to sell your home, the Gas Safety Certificate will prove extremely useful to potential buyers since it can prove that you've taken care of your gas appliances and installations. It can also speed up the conveyancing as it doesn't require additional inspections.
Who needs a gas safety certificate?
As a landlord, it's your responsibility to ensure that any gas appliances or flues that are in your rental home are safe for your tenants. This means that you'll need to arrange regular inspections by an Gas Safe registered engineer to ensure everything is working properly.
You'll need your tenants a copy of the Gas Safety Certificate once the inspection has been completed. This should be done prior to your tenants moving into the property or at the beginning of any new lease. You should also 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 legally obliged to have their properties checked for gas safety at a minimum every 12 months. This includes both the landlord's personal gas appliances, as well as any appliances that are provided to tenants.
If you're a landlord who doesn't have a valid gas safety certification, you could face hefty penalties (up to a maximum of PS6,000) and court actions from your tenants or an indictment. The most significant danger is that a tenant could be injured or even killed by defective appliances in your rental property.
Only Gas Safe engineers are qualified to perform a Gas Safety check. They are the only ones who are trained to safely inspect and service gas appliances and installations. Landlords can determine whether an engineer is registered with the Gas Safe Register by checking their ID card. It has a unique Hologram.
While it's uncommon for a tenant to deny access to their rental property to permit the Gas Safety Check, it could happen. In these situations it's crucial for the landlord to explain to the tenant the legal requirement and how carbon monoxide can be very dangerous if it is not detected promptly.
If the tenant is unwilling to let an engineer in, then the landlord may decide to issue the option of a Section 21 notice that ends their tenancy. This must be accompanied by a written explanation of the reason why they're being evicted, such as non-payment of rent or serious damage to the property.
How do next page obtain an gas safety certificate?
A gas safety certificate is required for landlords to show that their properties are in compliance with the requirements of the government. Some tenants will not allow a gas engineer in their residence for this reason, which is frustrating for landlords. Landlords should make sure to communicate to their tenants that gas engineers are not spying and are only required to complete an important 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 once they have completed the necessary checks. This is also commonly known as a CP12 that stands for CORGI Proforma 12. CORGI used to be the Council for Registered Gas Installers however, it was replaced in April 2009 by the Gas Safe Register.
The landlord must provide copies to their current 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 contract. The landlord should also ensure that a carbon monoxide detector is installed in each room used as living accommodation which has fixed combustion appliances (excluding gas cookers) and that smoke alarms are installed to each storey of the property. The HSE website provides more information for landlords, including free brochures 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 the property in order to conduct the required gas safety inspections, they may make use of the section 21 notice if necessary to evict tenants. visit the next page is important to keep in mind, however, that a notice under section 21 is only valid if the landlord has had at least three attempts to gain entry for the gas safety inspection and has kept a record of these attempts. If a landlord fails follow the proper procedure for entry and attempts to evict their tenants by illegal means, they may be accused of harassment and face heavy fines from regulatory bodies.
Why do I need a gas safety certificate?
Landlords must have an official gas safety certificate to ensure the property they rent out is safe for tenants to live in. This means they must have regular checks performed by an approved gas engineer to ensure that any appliances are safe to use. This also means that they must make sure the gas pipework, appliances and flues are all in good working order.
This will stop any fires, accidents or carbon monoxide poisoning which could be caused by faulty equipment. It is important that landlords stay up to date with their Gas Safety certificates, as they can be fined for failing to do so.
Landlords need to be able prove that they have carried out their annual gas safety inspections on time. You can verify your Gas Safe Register online or obtain a copy from an engineer that visited the property. The landlord is required to repair any appliances that are unsafe or defective immediately to ensure tenant's safety.
Some landlords are unable to convince their tenants to allow them access to their property in order to conduct gas safety checks. It may be because they feel that it would violate their privacy, or they are in a dispute with their landlord. It is an ideal idea to request the landlord write a letter in which he explains why a gas safety check is necessary and what it will entail. This letter can be sent via recorded delivery and should give the tenant 14 days to reply.
If the tenant continues to refuse to give access to the landlord, they should consider taking further action. This could include drafting an Section 21 notice or applying to the court for an injunction that will force them to grant access. This is a very serious option that should only be taken as an option last resort.