Gas Safety Certificate For Landlords
It is crucial to remember that it is only landlords who have responsibility for gas safety inspections. This applies to landlords who own residential properties as well as those who lease rooms or holiday accommodation.
Before they can put their property on the market landlords must prove that the pipework and appliances they have installed in their homes are safe. This can be accomplished with the gas safety certificate.
What is a gas safety certification?
If you're a landlord or homeowner, you need to comply with the law in regards to maintaining your gas appliances and installation in good working order. That's why every property owner must obtain their gas safety certificate at least once per year. What is a gas safety certificate? And who needs one?
Gas Safe Certificates, also known by the name Landlord Gas Safety Record are official documents issued by a Gas Safe engineer who has completed a full inspection of your rental's gas appliances and flues. The engineer will also ensure that all ventilation pathways are in good working order in your rental properties to prevent dangerous carbon dioxide build-up.
The Gas Safe Certificate will detail the results of your yearly inspection. It will list each of the gas appliances and installations, along with their make, model and the location of your home. The engineer will inform you if the appliances are safe to use and provide information about any work needed to ensure your tenants' safety.
You will need to provide your Landlord Gas Safety Certificate to your tenants within 28 days of the service. It is also required to provide it to tenants who are new when they begin their tenancy. Failure to do this could result in fines or even criminal prosecution, so it's important to consider your responsibilities seriously.
Although homeowners don't require a Gas Safety Certificate to live in safety, it's an excellent idea to obtain one every year. This will not only put your mind at ease regarding the condition of your gas and heating appliances, but will help you spot any issues in advance. This could help you save money and hassle in the long term.
If you're considering selling your home and are thinking of selling it, you should get a Gas Safety Certificate will prove an invaluable asset to prospective 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 inspections.
Who needs an official certificate of gas safety?
As an owner, it is your responsibility to ensure that all gas appliances and flues in your rental property are safe for your tenants. This means that you'll need to schedule regular inspections with an Gas Safe registered engineer to make sure everything is in good working order.
After the inspection has been completed You'll need an original copy of your Gas Safety Certificate to give to your tenants. This should be done ideally prior to the time your tenants move into the property or at the start of a new tenancy. You should keep an original copy for yourself, as well as the records of any maintenance that was performed on the gas appliances in your property.
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 and any appliances that are provided to tenants.
If you are a landlord who does not have a valid certificate of gas safety, you could be subject to massive penalties (upto PS6,000) or legal actions from your tenants, or even criminal charges. The most significant danger is that a tenant might be injured or even killed by defective appliances at your rental property.
Only Gas Safe engineers are qualified to perform the Gas Safety check. This is because only they are trained to safely inspect gas appliances and installations. Landlords can verify if an engineer is registered with the Gas Safe Register by checking their ID card. It is unique. Hologram.
Although it's not common for a tenant to refuse access to their rental property in order to permit the Gas Safety Check, it could happen. In these cases it's crucial for the landlord to explain why this is a legal requirement and also that carbon monoxide could be extremely hazardous if not discovered at the right time.
If a tenant is still refusing to allow an engineer to enter their home, the landlord should consider serving them with an Section 21 notice to end their tenancy. This should be followed by an explanation of why they are being forced out. For example the non-payment of rent, or serious damage to the property.
How do I obtain an gas safety certificate?
Landlords must have an official gas safety certificate to ensure their rental properties are in compliance with the laws of the government. Some tenants will not let a gas engineer into their home for this purpose, which is frustrating for landlords. Landlords need to make sure tenants know that gas engineers aren't spies, and they only need to enter their homes in order to fill out a legally required document. This will help reduce the number of 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 a Landlord Gas Safety Record document. It is also referred to as a CP12 which stands for 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 is required to provide their existing tenants with a copy of the document within 28 days (about four weeks) of the date that the check is completed. The landlord must also provide an applicant a copy on signing the tenancy agreement. Get More must also ensure that a carbon monoxide detector is installed in every room used as living accommodation that is equipped with fixed combustion appliances (excluding gas cookers) and that smoke alarms are installed to every storey of the property. The HSE website provides more information for landlords, including free brochures as well as an Approved Code of Practice to manage gas Installations and Appliances within a Rental Property.
If a landlord cannot gain access to their property in order to carry out the necessary gas safety checks, they can make use of a section 21 notice to expel tenants, if necessary. It is important to note, however, that a section 21 notice is only valid when the landlord has attempted at least three times to gain access to conduct the gas safety inspection and has kept a record of these attempts. If a landlord fails to follow the correct procedure and then tries to expel tenants without a valid reason, they may be found guilty of harassment and face heavy fines.
What is the reason I need a gas safety certification?
Landlords must have a certificate of gas safety to ensure that the house they rent is safe for tenants. Gas engineers should conduct regular checks to ensure all appliances are safe to use. It also means that they must make sure the gas pipework, appliances and flues are in good working order.
This helps to prevent any accidents or fires that could be caused by faulty appliances, in addition to reducing the chance of carbon monoxide poisoning, which can happen if an appliance isn't properly installed or maintained. It is crucial that landlords stay up to date with their Gas Safety certificates, as they could be fined for not doing so.
Landlords need to be able prove that they have completed their annual gas safety inspections in time. They can do this by reviewing their Gas Safe register online, or by obtaining an original copy of the most recent certificate from the person who visited the property. The landlord is required to repair any appliances that are unsafe or faulty immediately to protect the safety of the tenant.
Some landlords may have difficulty persuading their tenants to let them access the property for the gas safety inspections. This could be due to a number of reasons, such as the fact that they believe it's an invasion of privacy, or they are currently in a dispute with their landlord. If this is the case, it is a good idea for the landlord to send an explicit letter stating the reasons why gas safety checks are necessary and what they'll entail. The letter can be delivered by recorded delivery and the tenant should be given 14 days to respond.
If the tenant still refuses to let the landlord access, they should consider taking another step. This might include writing a Section 21 notice or applying to the court for an injunction to compel them to allow access. This is a serious measure that should only be considered in the last resort.