Gas Safety Certificate For Landlords
It is important to remember that only landlords are accountable for the gas safety check. This is true for landlords of residential dwellings and those who rent out rooms or holiday accommodations.
Before they can put their properties on the market, landlords must be able prove that the pipes and appliances in their homes are safe. Gas safety certificates can assist you to achieve this.
What is a Gas Safety Certificate?
You must adhere to the law, regardless of whether you are a landlord or a homeowner in maintaining your gas appliances and installations in a good condition. Every property owner must obtain their gas safety certificates at least once a calendar year. What exactly is landlord gas safety certificate cost ? Who needs one?
A Gas Safe Certificate, also known as a Landlord Gas Safety Record, is an official document that is issued by a certified Gas Safe engineer after carrying out a full examination of all gas appliances and flues in your rental property. The engineer will also verify that the ventilation passages in your home are clean to prevent dangerous carbon monoxide build-up.
The Gas Safe Certificate will detail the results of your annual inspection. The Gas Safe Certificate will provide the results of your annual inspection. It will list all the gas appliances and installations that were inspected as well as their model, make, model and location within your property. The engineer will inform you whether the appliances are safe to use, and will provide information on any work needed to ensure the safety of your tenants.
You will need to provide your Landlord Gas Safety Certificate to your tenants within 28 days after the service. You should also provide it to new tenants when they start their tenure. Failure to do this could result in fines, or even criminal prosecution, so it's important to take your responsibilities seriously.
Even though landlord gas safety certificate cost don't need a Gas Safety Certificate to live safely, it is still recommended to obtain one each year. Not only will this put your mind at ease about the state of your heating and gas appliances, but it will aid in identifying any issues before they become serious. This could save you a lot of money and stress in the long in the long.
If you're thinking of selling your home and are thinking of selling it, a Gas Safety Certificate will prove extremely useful to potential buyers as it will demonstrate that you've taken care of your gas appliances and installations. It also speeds up the conveyancing as it doesn't require additional checks.
Who is in need of a gas safety certificate?
As a landlord, it's your responsibility to ensure that all flues and gas appliances in your rental property are safe. This means you'll have to schedule regular inspections by 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 before your tenants move into the property or at the start of any new tenancy. Keep a copy of the document for yourself, as well as the records of any maintenance that was performed on the gas appliances in your property.
The landlords' properties must be checked for gas safety at minimum once every 12months. This includes all properties with gas appliances owned by the landlord, as well as any appliances provided to tenants.
If you are a landlord with an official certificate of gas safety, you could be subject to severe fines (upto PS6,000) and legal action from your tenants, or even criminal charges. The most significant chance is that a tenant might be injured or even killed due to defective appliances in your rental property.
The only people who can carry out a Gas Safety Check are Gas Safe engineers. Only Gas Safe engineers are certified to examine and service appliances and installations in a safe manner. Landlords can check the engineer's Gas Safe Register registration by looking for their ID card with an exclusive hologram.
Although it's not uncommon for tenants to deny access to their rental property to permit an Gas Safety Check, it is possible to do so. In these cases, it's important for the landlord to explain to them the legal requirement and that carbon monoxide can be very dangerous if it is not detected promptly.
If the tenant is unwilling to allow an engineer in the property, then the landlord could consider giving them an Section 21 notice that ends their tenancy. This should be followed by an explanation of why they're being evicted. For example rent arrears, non-payment or serious damage to the property.
How do I obtain a gas safety certification?
Landlords need an official gas safety certificate to ensure their rental properties are in compliance with government regulations. However, some tenants might not allow a gas engineer into their homes for this purpose - which is frustrating and unfair for landlords. Landlords must ensure that tenants are aware that gas engineers aren't spying and only need to access their homes in order to fill out a legally required document. This will reduce the number of tenants who refuse to give access to gas inspections.
The Landlord Gas Safety Record is issued by the gas engineer when the required checks. This is also known as a CP12 which is a reference to CORGI Proforma 12 CORGI was the Council for Registered Gas Installers until it was replaced by the Gas Safe Register in April 2009.
The landlord must give an original copy to current tenants within 28 days (about 4 weeks) after the check has been completed. A new tenant will receive one when they sign the tenancy agreement. The landlord must also make sure that a carbon monoxide detector is equipped in each room used for living accommodation that is equipped with fixed combustion appliances (excluding gas cookers) and that smoke alarms are connected to every storey of the property. Landlords can get more information on these requirements, including free leaflets and an Approved Code of Practice for the management of gas Installations and Appliances in a rental Property (Appendix 3), on the HSE website.
If a landlord is not able to gain access to the property in order to perform the necessary gas safety inspections, they can make use of the section 21 notice to expel tenants. A notice under section 21 is only valid if the landlord has made at least three unsuccessful attempts to gain access to the property to conduct the gas safety test and kept a record of the unsuccessful attempts. If a landlord does not follow the correct procedure for entry and attempts to expel tenants using unlawful means, they could be found guilty of harassment and face heavy fines from regulators.
Why do I require a gas safety certificate?
Landlords need to have an official certificate of gas safety to ensure that the home they lease is safe for tenants. Gas engineers must conduct regular checks to make sure that all appliances are safe to use. This means they have to make sure that the gas pipework and appliances are in good condition.
This can help prevent accidents or fires which could be caused by faulty appliances, in addition to reducing the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning which can happen when appliances aren't properly maintained or installed. Gas Safety Certificates are important for landlords to ensure they are up-to-date. They could be penalized if they don't.
Landlords need to show that their annual gas safety check was carried out in a timely manner. You can verify your Gas Safe Register online or request a copy from the engineer that visited the property. If any of the appliances show as unsafe or inoperable, the landlord must get them repaired immediately to ensure the safety and health of the tenant.
Some landlords may have trouble persuading tenants to allow them access to the house for gas safety inspections. It may be because they feel that it violates their privacy or are fighting with their landlord. If this is the case, it's recommended for the landlord to send an explicit letter stating the reasons why gas safety checks are necessary and what they'll entail. This letter can be delivered via recorded delivery, and the tenant should have 14 days to respond.
If the tenant still refuses to allow the landlord access, they should consider taking additional steps. This could include drafting a Section 21 notice or applying to the court for an injunction to force the tenant to allow access. This is a serious step that should only be considered in the last option.