Both tenants and landlords should be familiar with the legal responsibilities in reference to gas appliances in the property. Any landlord has a wide range of responsibilities in a vast array of accommodations rather residential or through license.
Residential rental properties can be any of the following; housing associations, local council authorities, hostels, private landlord, housing co-op, private households, bedsit accommodations, bed and breakfast, or hotel rooms. Caravans, chalets, static caravans, flats, boats or even a static tent would be considered rented holiday accommodations.
A list of a landlord’s duties can be found in the Gas Safety Regulations 1998. This covers both installation and use and explains that a landlord must be sure that all flues and fittings must be safe.
Legally landlords are required to have gas safety checks scheduled to be performed by Gas Safe engineers. It is reported that 41% of tenants say their gas appliances breakdown and that inspections are not being performed as regulated. There was a full write up about this in the Guardian Newspaper and it can be read at the following link; http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2011/sep/19/landlords-tenants-gas-safety-checks.
A Closer Look at the Landlord’s Responsibility
Landlords are required to have regular maintenance and servicing done on all appliances, pipe work, and flues. If the flues are conveyed through ceilings or voids they must be checked for access. By visiting http://www.gassaferegister.co.uk/advice/flues_in_voids.aspx you can learn about the details for access panels.
Any gas appliance furnished by the landlord will need to have annual servicing and any regular maintenance according to the manufacturer’s specifications. The only exception to this rule would be if a Gas Safe expert were to say otherwise. If the manufacturer’s instructions are not available at minimum appliances must be serviced once a year.
To insure that all fittings, flues, pipes, and appliance are safe to operate; a yearly gas safety check must be done. This inspection is commonly known as a CP12 and must be done by a registered Gas Safety professional. The Gas Safe expert will supply the Landlord with a certificate after the inspection is completed and all appliances are in safe order.
Within 28 days of gas safety inspections being completed the landlord is required to furnish a copy of the certificate to the tenant. Any new tenant moving into the property or receiving accommodations should receive a copy of the certificate before the move in. The proper name for the certificate is a Landlord Gas Safety Certificate (CP12) so tenants know what to request to insure they are moving into a safe environment.
Every landlord is required by law to keep on file the inspection certificates for a minimum of two years. To be as clear as possible not only do the inspections need to be performed by a professional; landlords cannot do the maintenance or installations on their own. These rules and regulations were put into place to help protect the tenant and if they are not being followed then the safety of the tenant is put at risk.
