Landlords Gas Safety
Landlords Gas Safety Check – Its Your Responsibility
If you are a property landlord, then certain legal obligations must be followed at all times. As a landlord, you have a duty of care to your tenants and must ensure that gas appliances and gas safety checks are performed as required to ensure the safety of your tenants.
What Does The Law State About The Legal Responsibilities of a Landlord?
The legislation regarding gas safety and landlords can be found in the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. The law specifies that you have a legal responsibility to ensure that all gas appliances, fittings, chimneys, and flues are safe and working as designed by the manufacturer. The law also identifies three specific legal responsibilities which must be followed.
Gas Safety Checks
As a landlord, you must arrange for all flues and gas appliances owned by you to be checked annually. This must be completed by a Gas Safe Registered Engineer.
It is important to note that you are not responsible for checking any appliances owned by the tenant. Upon completing the checks, you will be given a Landlord Gas Safety Record or Gas Safety certificate, often referred to as a GP 12 certificate.
This is a very important document, which should be stored safely, as it is proof that you have fulfilled your gas safety check obligation of being a landlord.
The law allows you to book the annual appointment anywhere between 10 and 12 months from the previous one without affecting the expiry date of the original certificate.
If you want to book in a gas safety check before ten months or after 12 months, this will change the expiry date of the original certificate.
Gas Safety Record
Once in possession of the gas safety check certificate, you must present your tenants with a copy of it. It is essential to understand that there is a 28-day limitation in regards to this; in other words, legally, the gas safety check certificate must be given to the current tenants within 28 days of the check. New tenants must be provided with a gas safety check certificate at the start of their tenancy.
If your property is a holiday or short-term, let for guests staying less than 28 days, you must display a copy of the certificate on the premises. It is also important to note that you have a legal obligation to keep a copy of your gas safety check certificate for two years after it expires.
Maintenance
Your obligation as a landlord to your tenant continues throughout the entire period of time that the property is rented out. It is not enough to just complete the relevant gas safety checks every year and then forget about the property for another twelve months. As a landlord, you need to check that all gas pipework, appliances, chimneys, and flues are kept in a safe condition.
Ideally, you should follow the gas appliance manufacturer’s guidelines, but if you have misplaced the appropriate documentation, then our advice would be to invest in an annual service. Our gas safe registered engineers can always assist with any queries you may have in this regard.
How Much Does A Landlord Gas Safety Check Cost?
At Moreheat, we are a locally owned and operated company that is committed to delivering a quality service at competitive prices. The cost of the landlord gas safety check is just £60+VAT
We can also do commercial gas checks, they cost £120+VAT
To book a free no-obligation quote, contact our friendly customer service team on 01803 605 509.
