What is a Landlord Gas Safety Certificate?
If you're a landlord, it's crucial to know your responsibilities when it comes to the safety of gas at your property. Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations, 1998 are required for landlords.
You must arrange for your onsite appliances and flues to be checked each year by an Gas Safe registered engineer. Also, you must provide a copy of the gas safety report to your tenants.
What is a gas safety certification for landlords?
Gas Safe registered engineers issue an official gas safety certificate for landlords to the owner after an inspection for safety. The document should contain all the information regarding the gas pipework in the property and appliances that have been checked for safety. Landlords are legally responsible to ensure that the items are in good order and to give copies of the completed document to their tenants.
All landlords are legally required to have their properties inspected every 12 months and obtain an annual certificate of gas safety. However, the regulations require that landlords ensure they schedule their inspections no later than one month before the current certificate is due to expire. This helps them avoid any coverage gaps and ensure the best protection for their tenants.
To obtain a gas safety certificate for your landlord, you will need to get an Gas Safe registered engineer to visit the property. This engineer will inspect every gas appliance and pipework in the property. In addition, the engineer will also examine the emergency controls of each appliance. The engineer will also test the emergency controls for each appliance.
If a tenant is refusing to permit access to the inspection, the landlord may try to convince them to allow access by sending a clearly written letter outlining why they require the checks done and what will happen in the event they refuse to allow them to enter. If this doesn't work, the landlord may think about initiating the eviction process by serving a Section 21 notice.
You must provide your tenants an original copy of the completed Landlord Gas Safety Record, within 28 days after each check. It should be handed out to existing tenants as well as any new tenants, before they move in. In addition, you must keep a copy of the record for two years.
What is a tenant gas safety certificate?
Generally speaking, landlords must ensure that all gas appliances that are in their property are regularly tested by an Gas Safe registered engineer. This is a legal requirement, and the cost can range from PS60-PS120 based on the items included in the test. The engineer will provide the CP12 to the landlord after the inspection. This document must be given to the tenants within four weeks following the test has been completed. The document is an official record of the tests and should be kept by the landlord for two years from the date of the first inspection, but it is recommended that they are stored online to reduce the amount of paper that is thrown away.
Landlords should also ensure that they have access to the property to conduct the annual service and gas security inspections. The law stipulates that if the tenant refuses access, the landlord must adopt reasonable measures to gain access and complete the check. It is possible to write to the tenant, asking them to contact an engineer directly and to repeat requests for access. This could also mean calling the local council, who might be able to send an official round to explain the necessity of granting access for maintenance and safety checks.
If a tenant continues to refuse to grant access, the landlord should consider beginning the process of eviction. It is the landlord's legal right to evict tenants who refuse to cooperate with safety checks. This can be a difficult process, so landlords must consult a lawyer before making a decision.
The landlord is responsible for all gas pipework, appliances and flues that they own and provide for use by the tenants. This is true regardless of whether the property is wholly or partly sub-let by the landlord to third parties. However, the original landlord and any other person who acquires duties through contractual arrangements must cooperate, with a clear allocation of responsibilities, to ensure that the statutory requirements are fully met.
It is important to determine whether a landlord has employed an agent managing their rental properties. They should also inquire who is responsible for organizing gas safety tests. Certain agents will be responsible for this, but it is important to check with the agency in advance to ensure you are fully covered.
What is a sub-let gas safety certification?
If a landlord leases their property, they have to ensure that it is safe for those who live there. A gas safety certificate shows that all gas appliances and flues in the property have been checked and deemed to be safe by an accredited gas engineer. The landlord is responsible for ensuring that gas safety checks are performed every year, and that copies of the certificates are provided to the tenants. The checks should be carried out by an Gas Safe registered engineer. The CP12 form must include the Gas Safe engineer's ID number and 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. In the same way, they must provide new tenants a copy the CP12 form before they move into the property.
There are exceptions to this policy but only when the property is used for short-term rentals such as student housing or holiday cottages. It is an ideal idea to include information about these exemptions in your tenancy agreement, since it can save you a lot of stress and legal issues in the future.
If a landlord finds that their appliances or flues aren't safe in the process of an inspection, they must make arrangements for them to be repaired as soon as is possible. This could mean the removal and reconnection of the gas supply. how much for landlords gas safety certificate are responsible for ensuring that their gas engineers are Gas Safe registered, and must verify their identity by seeing their identification card prior to carrying out any work.
Despite the exemptions mentioned above, the regulations governing landlords and gas safety checks are strict and must be complied with. If the landlord is found to be in violation of the regulations, they could be prosecuted and could be fined or even prison sentences.
If you're a landlord and want to arrange a gas safety check, Total Landlord can help. We have a network of Gas Safe engineers who can visit your property and conduct a thorough inspection and provide you with the CP12 gas safety certificate. Our prices are competitive and we can provide an same-day service for emergency situations. Contact us or visit our website today for more information.
What is an annual gas safety check?
You are legally accountable for an annual gas safety inspection every year if you lease out some or all of your home. This includes checking the boiler as well as other gas appliances including pipes and flues as well as any fixtures and fittings which utilize or exhaust gas.
A certified Gas Safe engineer will inspect your home and ensure that everything is up-to-date and safe. They will test all the gas appliances and flues and check for signs of leaking or carbon monoxide poisoning. They will also make sure that the gas supply is on and that the gas meter has money on it.
After the inspection and the inspection, it's a good idea to provide a copy of your completed gas safety report to your tenants. It must be given to tenants who have been in the property for a period of 28 days and to tenants who are new before moving into. Keep a copy of the gas safety record for yourself and any agents you use.
Landlords are responsible for arranging and paying for gas safety inspections and certificates for their properties. If a tenant refuses to permit you to conduct the maintenance or check, then you must take "reasonable steps" to gain access. This may include sending a clearly written letter explaining why you require access to the property and what the safety checks will involve. If the tenant does not allow you access and you are not able to gain access, you might want to consider the possibility of a Section 21 eviction.
When you purchase an insurance policy for landlords with Hometree the annual gas safety check is included. That means you don't need to organize it on your own or worry about when you'll need complete it. You can be confident that our team will be available to help you if you want to change your policy information or renew your policy.
For more information about our insurance for landlords check out the Hometree website. Sign up for an estimate to find out more about the coverage and cost. Our promise of no price hikes means that you will not pay more in your annual premium than the inflation rate of the first year.