By Landlord Electrical Safety Certificate, the landlords need to ensure that that their properties for rental are secure and habitable. A key part of this is performing regular gas safety inspections.
As an owner, you are accountable for making sure the rental property you lease is secure and habitable. One of the ways to do this is to ensure you conduct the necessary gas safety inspections of the property each year. The gas safety certificate is vital. Failure to complete these tests could be a serious risk of penalties, Landlord Electrical Safety Certificate.
In this article, we examine all landlords need to be aware of Gas Safety Regulations, what legal requirements mean and the frequency at which gas safety inspections are required and the time when you have to present an up to the minute Gas Safety Certificate to your tenants.
What are the latest gas safety rules that landlords must follow in the UK?
The Gas Safety Regulations (Installation and Use) 1998 enacted an obligation for the landlord and the letting agent to ensure the safety of all appliances and fittings that use gas in rental properties. The appliances and fixtures that landlords as well as let agents are required to maintain their safety include:
Appliances that use gas (eg. gas oven, gas fireplaces etc.)
Pipework that connects to gas appliances
Flues that originate to gas appliances
Regular inspections are recommended to make sure there aren’t any leaks or problems and that the appliances are operating properly.
What are the advantages from the new Gas Safety Regulations?
After a consultative process conducted in collaboration with HSE Health and Safety Executive (HSE) between November 2016 and January 2017, the Gas Safety Regulations were revised. The changes took effect in April of 2018.
Prior to the modification landlords were required to perform gas safety checks “within 12 months” f the previous inspections. This means that in order to be able to continue a complaint, you needed to finish the check before the twelve month period had expired. This meant that landlords were often required to conduct checks each month for either 10 or 11 months. Over a 10-year period it resulted in the majority of landlords having to complete 11 checks instead of the required 10 checks.
The amendments basically introduced greater flexibility in the timeframe of gas safety inspections every year without reducing any checks for safety. This flexibility slowed down the problem of “over compliance” and improved maintenance plans, which benefit both the tenant as well as the landlord.
Learn more about this and how you can meet the specifications in the Approved Code of Conduct and Guidance.
Who requires an inspection of gas safety?
Checks for safety in the gas supply are required to
Landlords
Housing associations
Local authorities
Hotels and B&Bs
Colleges
Boarding schools
Hostels
When do tenants need annual gas safety inspections?
In the Gas Safety Regulations 2018, landlords must renewal their certificates for gas safety for up to two months before the date of expiration (which will be 12 months after the previous inspection). After the inspection is done the record of gas safety is considered as if it was carried out at the end of the cycle, to make sure there is no reduction in safety cycles, and also to minimize the possibility of over-compliance.
For instance, if your present gas safety certification was signed on September 1, 2021, you could conduct your next gas safety test starting on July 1st 2022, and the new certificate would have validity from September 1st 2022.
It is vital to know that in the event the landlord is unable to provide proof of two prior gaz safety certificates, then the date of expiry of the present gas security record is considered to determine the 12 month period from the date of the gas safety check.
What’s involved in the gas safety check?
A gas safety check every year requires the use of a certified Gas Safe registered Engineer. They’ll need to visit your home and examine the gas appliances like a boiler, gas oven as well as hot water tank.
The engineer:
Make an inspection visually of the gas appliances in your home.
Keep track of the rate of gas and burner pressure
Perform an examination of tightness on the gas meter in order to confirm there aren’t any leaks
Test the appliance’s flue gasses
Clean and inspect the condenser trap
Check the air and ventilation.
Make sure safety devices are functioning
Conduct a visual inspection the heating unit, looking for signs of problems, including the hot water cylinders and radiators.
Check the boiler’s flue systems (including loft space, if needed)
Make sure the pressure vessel is checked within the boiler.
Give you the gas safety certification:
It’s crucial to know that a regular gas safety check is not comparable from a boiler or gas service. While a check involves examination and testing however, it doesn’t cover repair of appliances. What’s included in a Landlord Electrical Safety Certificate?
Gas safety certificates have the following information:
A brief description of each appliance and the the address of each appliance
The name of the engineer, registration number and signature of the engineer.
The date on which the date that the check was issued
Address of property
Details on the possibility of defects or flaws, and the best way to fix these.
How will I know if the home is found to be unsafe for gas?
If the engineer of your property deems any gas appliance located in your home to be unsafe, they will state it on the certificate of gas safety by marking the “not safe to use” box. Three codes show the level of safety for an appliance in the event that it fails a safety test.
Immediately dangerous (ID) It means the appliance is a direct threat to the property’s inhabitants.
At-Risk (AR) this implies that there is at the very most one defect that is left untreated, may be a danger to the life of.
Not in accordance with current Standards (NCS) This signifies that the appliance or the configuration of it does not conform to minimum safety standards, but is technically secure.
If the safety engineer finds the appliance unfit for use they will ask permission to shut off the gas supply. They will also give suggestions on the corrective work required to be done.
Repairs must be completed promptly to make sure the safety of tenants. Also, a recheck is required to obtain a new Gas safety certification.
How long will an inspection for gas safety require?
The majority of gas safety inspection can take around 30 minutes to be completed. However, this is contingent on the amount of appliances used and the dimensions of the home. If repairs are urgently required, it might take longer.
When do I get my certificate of gas safety?
After the gas safety inspection your engineer will then provide you with the digital version of your Landlord Gas Safety Record, commonly referred to by the name of a safety certification or “CP12”.
Where can I find a reputable Gas Safe engineer?
All gas safety inspections and services must be conducted by a qualified GSE. Your tenant or you should request the engineer to show their ID upon arrival to confirm that they have been qualified.
It is possible to book gas safety inspections at many websites. This check should cost you anywhere between PS30 and PS100.
Here are a few of the websites:
A Gas Safety Certification from PS39 My Constructor
The Gas Safety Certification is from PS30 Landlord Certificates
If you’re unsure if an engineer in your area can be Gas Safe certified and you want to confirm this, check the Gas Safe Register.
When should I offer my tenant this gas safety certification?
After the annual gas safety check You must give your tenants who are in the current occupation of the property with an updated gas safety certificate as quickly as you can, and for current tenants this should be within 28 days from the inspection. New tenants must provide them with a copy of an original CP12 certificate at the time they move into your property.
What do I have the right to do? be allowed into the house to conduct gas safety inspections?
Like any other type of inspections of properties, landlords are required to provide the property owner at minimum 24-hour’ notice prior to visiting the home. However, it’s advisable to give a longer notice period to make sure you don’t disturb your tenant, and also to make sure there aren’t any objections.
Which are COVID-19 regulations in relation to gas safety visit?
When there is a Coronavirus epidemic, property owners need to be sure to strike a equilibrium between their legal obligations to maintain and safeguarding their tenant from the COVID-19.
Gas engineers must wear enough PPE before entering the premises Keep away from other people and clean hands as often as possible.
More details about COVID-19 as well as gas checks is available here The Check Gas Safe Register – Coronavirus (COVID-19) The Landlord’s Guide. For general information on rent and COVID-19, go to ENERGY PERFORMANCE CERTIFICATE COSTGuidelines for landlords and tenants.
Penalties for not possessing an appropriate gas safety certificate:
Infractions to compliance with Gas Safety Regulations is a grave offence. Inability to supply the gas safety certificate is a criminal offense and landlords are liable to unlimited fines or six months of jail.
This is also categorized as a dangerous situation and landlords could be liable to disciplinary measures like prohibition or improvement notices or emergency remedial actions from an authority local to the property.
Other legal requirements that landlords are required to comply with:
Alongside the annual safety test landlords should also be able to obtain an Energy Performance Certificate every ten years. Every private rental property need to have an energy rating of ‘E’ or better and tenants should receive an official proof of that prior to the lease begins.
Landlords also have a legal obligation to ensure that the regulations for fire safety are followed and all electrical wiring and appliances are secure. According to the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020, landlords are required to perform an electrical test every five years, and must have an up-to-date Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) prior to letting their properties.
