What Is A Landlord Gas Safety Certificate Tips From The Top In The Industry

What is a Landlord Gas Safety Certificate? It's important that you understand your obligations as a landlord when it comes to gas safety. Landlords are required to comply with the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. Gas Safe registered engineers must inspect your flues and appliances on site annually. Also, you must give a copy of your gas safety record to your tenants. What is a gas safety certificate for landlords? A landlord gas safety certificate is a formal document that is issued by a Gas Safe registered engineer gives to the owner of a property after conducting a safety audit. This document should contain all the information regarding the gas pipework in the property and appliances that have been inspected for safety. Landlords have a legal obligation to ensure that these items are in good order and to give copies of the completed document to their tenants. All landlords are required by law to have their properties inspected every 12 months and obtain an annual certificate of gas safety. The regulations require landlords to plan their inspections at least one month prior to expiration of their current certificate. This will prevent any lapse in coverage and provides the best possible protection for their tenants. To get a landlord gas safety certificate, you will need to arrange for a Gas Safe registered engineer to visit the property. The engineer will perform a full examination of all gas appliances and installation pipework within the property. In addition, the engineer will also examine the emergency controls of each appliance. If any appliances are found to be dangerous, the engineer will advise you on the correct repairs needed in order to bring them up to standards and issue an updated gas safety certification. If a tenant is refusing to allow access for the inspection, the landlord may try to persuade them by sending a strongly worded letter outlining why they require the checks done and what will happen in the event they refuse to let them in. If this fails the landlord could think about initiating the eviction process by serving a Section 21 notice. As an owner, you must give your tenants an original copy of the completed Landlord Gas Safety Record within 28 days of each check that is carried out. This must be provided to current tenants, as well as any new tenants before they move in. You should also keep the original records for two years. What is a gas safety certification for tenants? In general, landlords are responsible to ensure that all gas appliances in their homes are regularly inspected by a Gas Safe certified engineer. The cost could range from PS60 to PS120, depending on the scope of the test. The engineer will issue an CP12 (Landlord Gas Safety Record) to the landlord following the inspection, which must be handed over to tenants within four weeks of the test being completed. The document is a record that should be kept by the landlord two years after the date of the initial inspection. It is recommended to store the documents online to reduce waste. The landlords must also ensure that they have access to the property to conduct the annual gas and service safety inspections. If a tenant is unwilling to allow access, the law stipulates that the landlord must take all 'reasonable steps' to complete the check. It is possible to contact the tenant in writing, asking them to contact an engineer directly, and to repeatedly request entry. You can also contact the local council, who may be able send an official to explain why it is crucial to allow access for maintenance and safety checks. If a tenant still refuses to grant access to the property, the landlord should think about initiating the process of eviction. It is the landlord's legal right to remove tenants who do not cooperate with safety checks. Landlords should seek legal advice prior to making this decision as it may be difficult. The landlord is responsible for all gas pipes as well as flues, appliances and appliances that they own and provide to tenants. This is the case even if a landlord sublet the property to a third party. However, the original landlord, and anyone who is obligated by contract, should cooperate to ensure that the statutory requirements are met. gas safety certificate homeowner is crucial to find out whether a landlord has hired a managing agent for their rental properties. They should also ask who is responsible for arranging gas safety tests. Certain agents will be responsible for this, but it's worth checking with the agency prior to your visit to be certain that you are covered. What is a sub-let gas safety certificate? If a landlord leases their property, they must make sure that the place is safe for those who reside there. A gas safety certificate proves that all gas appliances and flues in the property have been checked and deemed to be safe by an accredited gas engineer. It's the responsibility of the landlord to ensure that they receive their gas safety inspections done each year, and to ensure that copies are handed over to the tenants who live there. The checks should be performed by an accredited Gas Safe engineer, and the CP12 form must include their ID number as well as a date of issue. It is also an obligation of law that the landlord hand tenants a copy the gas safety certificate within 28 days of any checks being completed. The landlord must also give any new tenants a copy of the CP12 form prior to their move into the property. There are exceptions to this policy however, if the property is used for short-term lets such as student housing or holiday cottages. Include these exemptions in the terms of your tenancy contract in order to avoid legal issues in the future. If a landlord finds that any of their appliances or flues aren't safe during the process of an inspection, they must arrange to have them fixed as soon as possible. This could involve disconnection and reconnection of the gas supply to the appliance or installing. Landlords are responsible for making sure that their gas engineers are Gas Safe registered, and must check their identity by examining their photocard before carrying out any work. Despite the exemptions discussed above, the rules governing gas safety checks for landlords and landlords are extremely strict and must be complied with. If a landlord is found to be in breach of the rules, they could be prosecuted which could result in penalties of fines or even jail time for the person who is in breach. Total Landlord is here to help if you are a landlord that needs to schedule an inspection for gas safety. We have a network of Gas Safe engineers who can visit your home, carry out a full inspection and issue an CP12 gas safety certificate. Our prices are reasonable and we can provide a same day service in the event of an emergency. For more information, give us a a call or visit our website today. What is an annual gas check? Legally, you are accountable for an annual gas safety check each year if you rent out some or all of your home. This includes checking your boiler and any other gas appliances, which includes flues, pipework and any fixtures and fittings that use or exhaust gases. A certified Gas Safe engineer will inspect your home and ensure everything is up to date and safe. They will test all gas appliances and flues, and check for signs of leaking or carbon monoxide poisoning. They will also ensure that the gas is on and that the gas meter is filled up. After the inspection and check, it's a great idea to give an original copy of your gas safety report to your tenants. It must be provided to tenants who have been in the property for a period of 28 days and to new tenants before moving into. You should also keep a copy of your gas safety record for yourself and any agents you hire. Landlords must arrange and pay for gas safety certificates and inspections for their properties. If a tenant refuses to allow you to carry out the maintenance or check, you must take “reasonable steps” to gain access. This may include sending a clearly written letter explaining why you need access to the property and what the security checks will be. If the tenant is still refusing, you can consider starting an Section 21 eviction process. If you purchase an insurance policy for your landlord through Hometree, your annual gas safety check is included. There's no need to fret about arranging it separately, or when you'll have to do it. You can also be confident that we're there for you should you need to renew your insurance or change any information. For more information on our landlord insurance packages, please visit the Hometree website. Sign up for an estimate to find out more about the coverage and price. Our no price hike promise means that your annual cost will not increase more than the rate of inflation for the first year.