Landlord Gas Safety Certificate and Boiler Service
As a landlord, it's your responsibility to ensure that all gas appliances, flues, and chimneys undergo annual inspections. It is also your responsibility to provide a copy to your tenants.
If the engineer determines that an appliance or installation as being immediately dangerous, they will request permission to cut off the gas supply and suggest that inspection hatches be put in place.
What is a Gas Safety Certificate (GSC)?
A gas safety certificate issued by a landlord is an official document that proves that all gas appliances and flues within the rental property have been checked by an experienced gas engineer. Landlords must arrange the gas check for each rental property they own at least once a year. The inspection is carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer and checks to ensure that all pipework appliances, flues, and pipes are in good working order and that they comply with the safety regulations.
Landlords are also legally required to provide tenants with a copy of the CP12 Gas Safety Certificate (Gas Safety Record) following each annual gas safety inspection and test. The document should be handed out to tenants within 28 days of the Gas Safety Inspection and to new tenants at the start of their tenure.
CP12 is the abbreviation for the CORGI Proforma 12 that was used by CORGI before it was replaced in 2009 by the Gas Safe Register. The form includes the date of the most recent gas inspections and tests, the results, any steps that need to be taken, as well as the name and name of the engineer who performed the inspection.
The engineer will offer advice if the Gas Safety Check reveals any issues with the gas appliance. This will include what needs to be addressed in order to ensure it is safe to use. If an appliance is deemed immediately dangerous or abnormally lethal the gas supply needs to be disconnected until the problem is resolved.
It is a crime to a tenant who refuses to let the gas safety inspection to be conducted. If needed, a landlord can ask the courts for an order to stop the tenant from preventing gas safety checks. However, it is more common to send a letter that describes why the check is vital and what is required. This can encourage a reluctant tenant to allow access and, in the event that they do not, the landlord might need to consider starting the eviction process.
How often should I renew my Gas Safety Certificate?
Landlords and letting agencies are legally required to carry out an annual gas safety check on all gas appliances and flues that they supply to tenants. This is to ensure that their equipment is safe to use and there are no gas leaks within the property. This is a vitally important obligation and landlords must make sure that they get their gas inspections done by a certified gas engineer.
The Gas Safety Certificate (formerly the Gas Safety Check Record) is a legal document that confirms that an inspection of the gas supply has been completed by a qualified engineer in the last 12 months. It is issued by the landlord and should be presented to the tenant to prove the safety of gas supply. It is valid for 12 months and has to be renewed each year.
A landlord who fails to provide an Gas Safety Certificate for their tenants could be penalized. It is therefore vital for landlords to have their Gas Safety checks carried out in a timely manner and to keep a copy the documents in case a tenant requests it.
Installing inspection hatches in all gas appliances is a good idea, because it lets engineers gain access to the appliances to conduct annual inspections. If the appliance is deemed to be in danger during an inspection, the engineer will formally classify it as such and may disconnect the boiler and advise that the tenant refrain from using it until the inspection hatch is installed.
The landlords should also ensure that they provide their tenants with a minimum of 24 hours notice prior to the time they enter the property to carry out Gas Safety checks. This allows tenants time to plan their inspection and request permission if they need. If a tenant is unwilling to permit the engineer to enter the landlord should inform them why the engineer is required and what happens in the event that they do not comply. If the tenant is still refusing, then the landlord should consider evicting them using section 21 of the Housing Act 1988.
What happens if I don't receive a Gas Safety Certificate?
In essence, it's a landlord's legal duty to ensure that their property is equipped with a valid gas safety certificate before tenants move in. Failing to do so is an offense that could cause landlords to be charged and liable to heavy fines. The regulations also stipulate that a landlord must provide a copy of the gas safety report to their tenants upon request.
Gas Safe registered engineers must visit the rental home of the landlord to conduct an inspection of the gas supply to all gas appliances. During the inspection, an engineer will be able to identify any issues that could pose a danger to tenants. gas safe certificate check Milton Keynes Gas Safety will then issue a CP12 gas safety certificate which is also known as the Landlord Gas Safety Record or a Gas Safety Certificate.
This is a very important document that every tenant must keep. It includes information about the gas installations in a rental property as well as information regarding when they last checked and the expiry dates. It will help tenants recognize any issues with the appliances or installation and ensure they know how to reach a Gas Safe engineer to have them checked.
Landlords are required to provide their new and current tenants with a gas safety report within 28 days of the engineer's visit to their property. The landlord must also give the copy of CP12 at the beginning of the tenancy. Landlords that fail to provide the the gas certificate may be prosecuted and face unlimited fines or even six months in prison.
In the same way, landlords must make sure that their properties are equipped with carbon monoxide alarms. They should also arrange for them to be tested every month. The landlord is responsible for fixing an alarm that does not work. This is applicable to private landlords, councils and housing associations and also licensable houses of Multiple Occupation.
In June 2017 the High Court decided that it was unlawful for landlords to issue Section 21 notices if they did not provide their tenants with a valid gas safety certificate. The decision was based upon the law that requires landlords who have assured shorthold tenancies to have a gas safety certification for their property prior to when tenants move in.
How can I obtain a Gas Safety Certificate (GSC)?
Landlords are legally responsible for ensuring that gas appliances, flues, and pipework within the properties they rent out are safe. Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 deal with this. To comply with the regulations landlords must conduct annual gas checks on all gas appliances and flues they supply for use in the property. This is referred to as a CP12 gas safety certificate and it must be completed by a qualified Gas Safe registered engineer after each inspection.
It is also a good idea for landlords to consider having the boiler service completed at the same time as the CP12 inspection, since this will ensure that all the gas appliances are operating properly and safely. Landlords can usually obtain a combined CP12 and boiler service for a reasonable price from a qualified gas engineer who can check the seals on boiler burners, check the flue system for leaks and cracks cleaning the burner and heat exchanger and conduct general maintenance.
The CP12 is sometimes known as "landlord's gas safety certificate", although it's actually called the Gas Safety Record Documentation. It lists the results of all safety checks and the details of any actions or problems that need to be resolved. Landlords are required to give their tenants the CP12 document no later than 28 days after the Gas Safety Check is completed.
It's important that the landlords or letting agents permit Gas Safe registered engineers to enter the premises to conduct safety inspections and maintenance. It's important to educate tenants on the importance of giving gas engineers access to the property and explain that the engineer is there to safeguard them from carbon dioxide poisoning. If the tenant is unwilling to allow access the agent or landlord must explain the legal obligations in writing. Then, they should visit the property and force entry if necessary.
Tenants must always request to be shown a Gas Safe ID card from the engineer before they allow them into the home to prove that they are properly qualified to work on your home's gas systems and can be trusted to complete the gas safety check efficiently and efficiently. It is also important to know that a gas technician can legally disconnect the malfunctioning equipment or cut off your gas supply should it be required.