landlord gas safety certificate and boiler service (discover this)

As a landlord, it's your responsibility to ensure that all gas appliances, flues, and chimneys undergo annual inspections. The law also requires that you give a copy of the check to your tenants.

If the engineer deems any appliance or installation to be immediately dangerous, they will ask permission to cut off the gas supply and suggest that inspection hatches be installed.

What is an Gas Safety Certificate (GSC)?

A gas safety certificate for landlords is a document that demonstrates that the gas appliances in the rental property and flues have been checked by a qualified gas engineer. Landlords are legally obliged to conduct a gas safety inspection once per year for each rental property they own. Gas Safe registered engineers carry the inspection and verify that all pipework, appliances and flues comply with safety regulations.

Landlords are also required by law to provide tenants with a copy of the CP12 Gas Safety Certificate (Gas Safety Record) after each annual gas safety inspection and test. The certificate should be provided to tenants within 28 days following the Gas Safety Inspection and to new tenants at the beginning of their tenure.

CP12 is the abbreviation for the CORGI Proforma 12 that was used by CORGI before it was replaced in 2009 by the Gas Safe Register. The form contains the date of the most recent gas inspections and tests, their results, any steps required to be taken, and the name and name of the engineer who performed the inspection.

If the Gas Safety check highlights any problems with a gas appliance, the engineer will advise on what must be done to ensure it is safe for use. If an appliance is deemed to be immediate danger or Abnormally Lethal the gas supply will have to be turned off until the problem is solved.

It is illegal to a tenant who refuses to allow the gas safety inspection to be conducted. If needed landlords can apply to the courts for an order to stop the tenant from preventing gas safety checks. However, it's usually easier to send a letter which clarifies why the checks are important and what's involved. This should encourage a reluctant tenant to let access in, and if otherwise, the landlord could have to think about starting the process of eviction.

How often do I need to renew my Gas Safety Certificate?

In the law, landlords and agents for letting are required to conduct an annual gas safety inspection on all chimneys and gas appliances they offer to their tenants. This is done to ensure that the equipment is safe for them to use and to ensure that there aren't gas leaks in the property. This is a vitally important obligation and landlords must be sure to are inspected for gas by a licensed gas engineer.

The Gas Safety Certificate (formerly the Gas Safety Check Record) is legal document that confirms that the gas inspection was performed by a licensed engineer within the last 12 months. It is given to the landlord and should be handed over to the tenant to prove the safety of the gas safety certificate cp12 supply. It is valid for a time of 12 months and has to be renewed every year.

A landlord who fails to provide an Gas Safety Certificate for their tenants could be fined. It is therefore crucial for landlords to ensure that their Gas Safety checks carried out in a timely manner and to keep a copy the certificate in the event that a tenant asks for it.

Installing inspection hatches in all gas appliances is a good idea, because it lets engineers gain access to the appliances to conduct annual inspections. If the appliance is found to be 'at risk' during an inspection the engineer will declare it to be at risk and will shut off the boiler and suggest that tenants not to use it until the inspection hatch has been installed.

Landlords must also give their tenants at least 24 hours' notice prior entering the property to conduct Gas Safety Checks. This allows the tenants to prepare for the visit and grant permission, if required. If a tenant refuses to permit the engineer to enter the landlord must inform them why it is necessary and what will happen in the event that they do not comply. If the tenant is still refusing the engineer entry, then the landlord must look into evicting them pursuant to section 21 of the Housing Act 1988.

What happens if I don't get a Gas Safety Certificate?

It is the legal responsibility of a landlord to ensure that their property has an approved gas safety certificate before tenants move into. Failure to comply with the law can lead to the landlord being charged or fined severely. The regulations also stipulate that a landlord must provide an original copy of their gas safety certificate to their tenants on request.

Gas Safe registered engineers must visit the rental home of the landlord in order to perform an inspection of the gas supply to all gas appliances. During the inspection the engineer will be able to identify any issues that could pose a risk to tenants. The engineer will issue the CP12 Gas Safety Document, which is also referred to as a Landlord Gas Safety Record (or a Gas Safety Certificate).

This is a crucial piece of documentation that every tenant should get a hold of and keep. It contains information on the gas installations in a rental property as well as information regarding when they last checked and the expiry dates. It will help tenants recognize any issues with the appliances or installation and ensure that they know how to reach a Gas Safe engineer to have them examined.

Landlords must give the gas safety report to their tenants, both new and current within 28 days after the engineer has visited their property. The landlord is also required to provide an original copy of CP12 at the beginning of the lease. Landlords who do not provide a copy of the gas safety certificate may be prosecuted under the rules and face unlimited fines or a six-month imprisonment.

In the same way, landlords must make sure that their properties are equipped with carbon monoxide alarms. They can also arrange for them to be tested every month. The landlord is responsible for repairing an alarm that does not work. The rules for this are applicable to private, council and housing association landlords, as well as licensable houses of Multiple Occupation (HMOs).

In June 2017 the High Court ruled that it was illegal for landlords to send Section 21 notices without providing their tenants with an official gas Safety Certificate. The ruling was based on the law that requires landlords who have assured shorthold tenancies to obtain a gas safety certificate for their property before tenants move in.

How do I get a Gas Safety Certificate?

Landlords are legally responsible to ensure that the gas appliances, flues, and pipework in their homes are safe for tenants. gas safe installation certificate Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 deal with this. To ensure compliance with the regulations landlords must conduct annual gas safety certificate duplicate inspections of all gas appliances and flues that they install to tenants. This is known as a CP12 Gas Safety Certificate, and it has to be completed by a certified Gas Safe Registered Engineer after each inspection.

Landlords should consider conducting a boiler inspection in conjunction with a CP12 inspection. This will ensure that all gas appliances are operating properly and safely. Landlords can usually get a combined CP12 and boiler service at an affordable price from a professional gas engineer who will be able to check the seals on boiler burners, check the flue system for leaks and cracks as well as clean the burner and heat exchanger and carry out general maintenance.

The CP12 is sometimes referred to by the term "landlord's gas safety certificate", although it is actually called the Gas Safety Record Documentation. It contains the results of safety checks, as well as specifics about any issues or actions that need to be addressed. Landlords are required to give their tenants the 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 for maintenance. It is essential to inform tenants about the importance of giving gas engineers access to their property and explain that the engineer's job is to protect them from carbon dioxide poisoning. If the tenant refuses to allow access the agent or landlord must state the legal requirements in writing. They should then go to the property and force entry if necessary.

Tenants should always ask to have a Gas Safe ID card from the engineer prior to letting them in to ensure that they are properly qualified to work on your home's gas systems and is able to complete the gas safety test efficiently and effectively. You should also be aware that a gas engineer can legally shut off faulty equipment or cut off your gas supply should it be required.