15 Facts Your Boss Would Like You To Know You'd Known About Gas Safety Certificate And Boiler Service

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. The law also requires you provide a copy the check to your tenants. If the engineer deems any appliance or installation to be immediately dangerous they will ask permission to disconnect the gas supply and recommend that inspection hatches are installed. What is a Gas Safety Certificate (GSC)? A gas safety certificate for landlords is an official document that proves that all gas appliances and flues in the rental property were inspected by a qualified gas engineer. Landlords must arrange an annual gas inspection for each rental property that they own at least once per year. Gas Safe registered engineers carry the inspection and ensure that all pipework, appliances and flues conform with safety regulations. The law also requires landlords to provide tenants with a copy CP12 Gas Safety Certificate, (Gas Safety Record), following each annual inspection and test for gas safety. The document should be handed out to tenants within 28 days of the Gas Safety Inspection and to new tenants at the beginning of their tenancy. CP12 is an abbreviation used for the CORGI Proforma 12 which was used by the Council for Registered Gas Installers (CORGI) before being replaced by the Gas Safe Register in 2009. The form contains the date of the most recent gas inspections and tests, their results, any steps that need to be taken, as well as the name and title of the engineer who performed the check. The engineer will offer advice if the Gas Safety Check reveals any problems with the gas appliance. This will outline what needs to be fixed in order to ensure it is safe to use. If a gas appliance is found to be immediately dangerous or abnormally dangerous, the gas supply must be shut off until the issue is fixed. It is a crime for a tenant to refuse to let the gas safety inspection to be conducted. A landlord may apply to the courts for an injunction if necessary, however it is generally more efficient to send a clearly written letter stating why it is essential that the checks are carried out and what they will entail. This will make a tenant more hesitant to let access in, and in the event that they do otherwise, the landlord could have to think about starting the process of eviction. How often do I need to renew my Gas Safety Certificate? The law requires that landlords and let agents are required by law to conduct an annual gas safety inspection of all chimneys and gas appliances that they provide to their tenants. This is to ensure that their equipment is safe for use and there are no leaks of gas in the property. Gas inspections are a crucial obligation for landlords and they must ensure that they are conducted by a qualified engineer. The Gas Safety Certificate, formerly known as the Gas Safety Check Record, is a legal document that affirms that an engineer has completed a gas inspection within the last 12 months. It is issued by the landlord, and should be provided to the tenant in order to demonstrate the security of the gas supply. It is valid for 12 months and has to be renewed every year. If a landlord is unable to provide their tenants with a Gas Safety Certificate then they are breaking the law and could be punished by the local authority. Gas Safety checks must be carried out by landlords on time. They should keep a copy in case tenants ask for it. It's also a good idea for landlords to install inspection hatches on all gas appliances so that engineers can easily access them for inspections every year. The engineer will categorise the appliance as 'at-risk' and may recommend that tenants stop using the boiler until the inspection hatch is installed. Landlords must also provide their tenants with at least 24 hours' notice prior to entering the property to conduct Gas Safety Checks. This allows tenants to prepare and ask permission, if required. If a tenant refuses access to the engineer, the landlord must explain the reason for this and what will happen if the tenant refused. If the tenant is still refusing, then the landlord should consider evicting them using section 21 of the Housing Act 1988. What happens if you don't have a Gas Safety Certificate? In what is gas safety certificate , it's a landlord's legal duty to ensure that their home has a valid gas safety certification prior to the time tenants move in. Failure to do this is an offence that can lead to landlords being charged and liable to heavy fines. The regulations stipulate that landlords must also furnish copies of gas safety certificates to their tenants upon request. Landlords must have an Gas Safe registered engineer visit their rental property to conduct a gas check on all gas appliances. During the inspection, an engineer will note any problems that could be a threat to tenants. They will issue an CP12 gas safety document, which is also known as the Landlord Gas Safety Record or a Gas Safety Certificate. This is an important piece of documentation that all tenants should be able to access and keep. It contains information on the gas installations of a rental property, as well as details on when they were last tested and their expiry dates. It will help tenants recognize issues with their appliances and installations and make sure that they know how contact a Gas Safe Engineer to have them tested. Landlords are required to provide their tenants, both new and existing, with a gas safety check report within 28 days of the engineer visiting their property. The landlord must also provide the copy of CP12 at the beginning of the tenure. Landlords who fail to provide an original copy of the gas safety certificate may be prosecuted under the regulations and could face unlimited fines or six months imprisonment. Additionally, landlords should ensure that their properties are equipped with carbon monoxide alarms. They can also arrange that they be tested every month. If the alarm is not functioning, the landlord has to fix it. The rules around this apply to council, private, and housing association landlords, and also to licensable houses of multiple Occupation (HMOs). In June 2017 In June 2017, the High Court ruled that it was unlawful for landlords to send Section 21 notices without providing their tenants with a valid gas Safety Certificate. The ruling was based on a law that requires landlords with assured shorthold leases to obtain an official gas safety certificate for their property prior to the time tenants move into it. How can I obtain a Gas Safety Certificate (GSC)? Landlords are legally accountable to ensure that gas appliances, flues and pipework in the properties they lease out are safe. Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 regulate this. To comply with these regulations, landlords must arrange annual gas checks on all the gas appliances and flues they provide for use in the building. This is known as a CP12 gas safety certificate, and it has to be signed by a licensed Gas Safe registered engineer after each inspection. Landlords should also consider conducting a boiler inspection at the same time as an CP12 inspection. This will ensure that all gas appliances are operating properly and safely. Landlords can typically obtain a combined CP12 and boiler service at an affordable price from a qualified gas engineer. They can check the seals on boiler burners, check the flue system for leaks and cracks, clean the burner and heat exchanger and carry out general maintenance. The CP12 document is often referred to as the 'landlord gas safety certificate', however, it is officially referred to as the Gas Safety Record documentation. It contains the results of the safety inspections, and specifics about any issues or actions that need to be addressed. Landlords are required to give their tenants a CP12 document no later than 28 days after the Gas Safety Check is completed. It is important that landlords and letting agents allow Gas Safe registered engineers access to the property to conduct safety inspections and maintenance. It's a good idea to inform tenants about the necessity of allowing access, and explaining that the gas engineer will ensure they are safe from carbon monoxide poisoning. If the tenant refuses to allow access the agent or landlord must state the legal requirements in writing. They should then visit the property and force entry if needed. Gas Safe ID cards should be requested by tenants before entering the property. This will confirm that the engineer is qualified to work with the systems in your home and can therefore be trusted to conduct the safety check. It's important to keep in mind that the gas engineer is legally able to cut off any defective equipment and can cut off gas lines when necessary.