Why We Why We Gas Safety Certificate For Landlords (And You Should Also!)
Gas Safety Certificate For Landlords
It is important to remember that only landlords are responsible for ensuring the safety of gas. This is true for landlords who own residential properties and those who rent rooms or holiday homes.
Landlords must be able to prove that the pipes as well as the flues, appliances and appliances in their homes are safe before putting them on the market. This can be done with the gas safety certificate.
What is a gas safety certificate?
If you're a tenant or homeowner, you need to follow the law when it comes to maintaining your gas appliances and installations in good operating condition. Every property owner should get their gas safety certificates at least once a calendar year. But what exactly is a gas safety certification? And who needs one?
A Gas Safe Certificate, also known as a Landlord Gas Safety Record, is an official document that is issued by a qualified Gas Safe engineer after carrying out a full examination of all gas appliances and flues that are in your rental property. The engineer will also check that all ventilation passages are clear in your rental property to prevent dangerous carbon dioxide build-up.
The Gas Safe Certificate will provide you with the results of your annual inspection. It will list all of the gas appliances and installations, as well as their model, make, and location in your home. The engineer will inform you whether the appliances are safe to use and provide details on any work needed to ensure the safety of your tenants.
You will have to give your Landlord Gas Safety Certificate to your tenants within 28 days of the service. It is also required to provide it to tenants who are new when they start their tenure. If you fail to comply with the requirements, you could be subject to penalties or fines.
Although homeowners don't require a Gas Safety Certificate to live in safety, it's a good thing to get one each year. This will not only set your mind at ease about the condition of your gas and heating appliances, but can help you spot any issues early. This can help you save time and money in the long term.
Gas Safety Certificates are extremely useful for potential buyers when you're selling your house. They will show that you have taken care of all of your gas appliances and installations. It will also speed up the conveyancing as it does not require any additional inspections.
Who needs a gas safety certificate?
As a landlord, it's your responsibility to ensure that all gas appliances and flues within your rental property are safe for your tenants. This means you'll have to schedule regular inspections with a Gas Safe registered engineer to ensure everything is in good working order.
After the inspection is completed You'll need a copy of your Gas Safety Certificate to give to your tenants. It is recommended that this be done before your new tenants move in, or at the start of any new tenancies. It is also recommended to keep a copy of the certificate for yourself and any documentation of any maintenance work that you have done on your property's gas appliances.
Landlords must have their properties checked for gas safety at minimum once every 12months. This includes both the landlord's personal gas appliances, as well as any appliances provided to tenants.
If you're a landlord and don't possess a valid gas safety certificate, you could face hefty penalties (up to a total of PS6,000) and court actions from your tenants or an indictment. The most significant risk is that one of your tenants could be injured or killed as a result of defective appliances in your rental property.
Only Gas Safe engineers are qualified to conduct an Gas Safety check. Only Gas Safe professionals are trained to examine, service and test appliances and installations safely. Landlords can verify if an engineer is registered with the Gas Safe Register by checking their ID card. It is unique. Hologram.
It is not common for a tenant to allow access to the rental property to conduct a Gas Safety Check. However it happens. In these cases it is crucial for the landlord to explain to the tenant why this is a legal requirement and also that carbon monoxide is extremely hazardous if not discovered at the right time.
If the tenant is refusing to let an engineer in and the landlord is not willing to let an engineer in, then the landlord might consider giving them the option of a Section 21 notice that ends their tenancy. This should be accompanied by an explanation as to why they're being evicted. For example the non-payment of rent, or significant damage to the property.
How can Info obtain a gas safety certification?
A gas safety certificate is required for landlords to show that their properties that they rent meet the requirements of the government. However, some tenants might refuse to allow a gas engineer into their homes for this purpose which is a source of frustration and unfair for landlords. Landlords should try to convey to their tenants that gas technicians are not spies and only need access to complete an important legally required document. This will help to reduce the number of tenants who are unable to grant access to gas inspections.
After the gas engineer has conducted the necessary checks and is satisfied that all appliances are safe to use They will issue the Landlord Gas Safety Record document. This is also commonly known as a CP12 which is a reference to CORGI Proforma 12. CORGI was once the Council for Registered Gas Installers, but was replaced in April 2009 by the Gas Safe Register.
The landlord must provide their current tenants with a copy of the document within 28 days (about four weeks) of the check being completed and give the new tenant a copy on signing the tenancy agreement. The landlord must also make sure that a carbon dioxide detector is installed in each room that has fixed combustion appliances, excluding gas cookers. Smoke alarms must be installed on every floor of the property. Landlords can get more information on these requirements, including free leaflets and an Approved Code of Practice for the management of gas Installations and Appliances in a rental Property (Appendix 3), on the HSE website.
If a landlord cannot gain access to their property to perform the necessary gas safety checks, they may use a section 21 notice to remove tenants, if necessary. It is important to keep in mind, however, that a notice under section 21 can only be served when the landlord has had at least three attempts to gain access to conduct the gas safety inspection and has maintained records of the attempts. If a landlord fails to follow the correct procedure and attempts to evict their tenants illegally and is found guilty of harassing and could face heavy fines.
Why do I need a gas safety certificate?
Landlords need to have a gas safety certificate to ensure the property they rent out is safe for tenants to reside in. Gas engineers must perform regular checks to ensure that all appliances are safe for use. This means that they need to make sure that the gas pipelines and appliances are in good condition.
This will help to avoid any fires, accidents or carbon monoxide poisoning that can be caused by defective equipment. Gas Safety Certificates are important for landlords to ensure they are up-to-date. They could be penalized for not doing so.
Landlords must prove that their annual gas safety inspection was completed on time. This can be done by reviewing their Gas Safe register online, or by getting a copy of the latest certificate from the person who visited the property. If any of the appliances show as unsafe or inoperable, the landlord must get them repaired as soon as possible to protect the safety and health of the tenant.
Some landlords have difficulty convincing their tenants to allow them access to the property in order to conduct gas safety inspections. This can be due to a number of reasons, such as the fact that they feel it's an invasion of privacy or that they are currently in dispute with their landlord. If this is the case, it is an ideal idea for the landlord to write an extremely clear letter explaining why the gas safety checks are necessary and what they'll mean. The letter can be delivered by recorded delivery and the tenant should be given 14 days to respond.
If the tenant continues to refuse to give access to the landlord the landlord should think about taking further action. This might include writing a Section 21 notice or applying to the court for an injunction to compel the tenant to allow access. This is a serious action that should only be taken only as a last resort.