What's Holding Back What's Holding Back The Gas Safety Certificate For Landlords Industry?
Gas Safety Certificate For Landlords
It is essential to keep in mind that only landlords are accountable for ensuring the safety of gas. This is true for landlords who own residential properties as well as those who rent rooms or holiday homes.
Before they can put their property on the market, landlords must be able demonstrate that the pipes and appliances they have installed in their homes are safe. This can be done by obtaining an official gas safety certificate.
What is a Gas Safety Certification?
You must adhere to the law, whether you're a landlord, or homeowner, when it comes to maintaining your gas appliances and installations in a good in good working order. Every property owner should get their gas safety certificates at least once per calendar year. But what exactly is a gas safety certificate? And who needs one?
A Gas Safe Certificate, also known as a Landlord Gas Safety Record, is a legal document issued by a certified Gas Safe engineer after carrying an extensive inspection of all the gas appliances and flues within your rental property. The engineer will also make sure that all ventilation passages are free of obstructions in your rental property to avoid the risk of 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 that were inspected and installations, as well as their make, model and the location of your property. 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 need to provide your Landlord Gas Safety Certificate to your tenants within 28 days after the service. You must also give it to new tenants when they begin their tenancy. If you don't comply, you could face fines or criminal prosecution.
Even though homeowners don't need a Gas Safety Certificate to live in peace, it's an excellent idea to obtain one each year. This will not only put your mind at ease about the state of your gas and heating appliances, but it can also help you spot any issues before they become serious. This can save you time and money in the long run.
If you're planning to sell your house and are thinking of selling it, you should get a Gas Safety Certificate will prove an invaluable asset to prospective buyers since it can prove that you've taken care of your gas appliances and installations. It also speeds up the conveyancing as it doesn't require additional inspections.
Who requires a certificate of gas safety?
As a landlord, it's your responsibility to ensure that all gas appliances and flues that are in your rental home are safe for your tenants. You'll have to arrange for regular inspections from an Gas Safe registered technician to make sure that everything is operating correctly.
After the inspection is completed and you're ready to get a copy of your Gas Safety Certificate to give to your tenants. Ideally, this will be completed before your current tenants move in or at the start of any new tenancies. Keep a copy for yourself as well as records of any maintenance performed on the gas appliances in your home.
Landlords are legally obliged to have their properties inspected for gas safety at least every 12 months. This includes both the landlord's personal gas appliances and any appliances that are provided to tenants.
If you are a landlord who does not have a valid gas certificate safety, you could be subject to severe penalties (upto PS6,000) or legal action from your tenants, or even criminal charges. The biggest risk is that one of your tenants could be injured or killed due to faulty appliances in your rental property.
Only Gas Safe engineers are qualified to conduct an Gas Safety check. This is because they have been properly trained to examine gas appliances and installations. Landlords can verify whether an engineer is registered with the Gas Safe Register by checking their ID card. It has a unique Hologram.
Although it's not common for a tenant to deny access to their rental property to allow an Gas Safety Check, it is possible to do so. In these situations it's crucial for the landlord to explain the legal requirement and that carbon monoxide can be very dangerous if it is not detected at the right time.
If a tenant continues to refuse to let an engineer into their home the landlord should think about serving them with an Section 21 notice to end their tenure. This should be followed by an explanation as to why they're being evicted. For example rent arrears, non-payment or severe damage to the property.
How do I obtain a gas safety certification?
A gas safety certificate is required for landlords to prove their rented properties meet the requirements of the government. However, some tenants might not allow gas engineers into their homes for this reason which can be frustrating and unfair to landlords. Landlords must try to communicate to their tenants that gas engineers aren't spies and only need access to complete an essential legally-required document. This will help to reduce the number of tenants who are unable to allow access for gas inspections.
The Landlord Gas Safety Record is issued by the gas engineer after they have completed the necessary checks. It is also referred to as a CP12, which stands for CORGI Proforma 12. CORGI used to be the Council for Registered Gas Installers however, it was replaced in April 2009 by the Gas Safe Register.
The landlord must provide a copy to their existing tenants within 28 days (about 4 weeks) after the check has been completed. A new tenant will be provided with an original copy of the check when they sign the tenancy agreement. The landlord must also ensure that a carbon dioxide detector has been installed in each room with fixed combustion appliances, except for gas cookers. Smoke alarms should be installed on each floor of the property. The HSE website has more details for landlords, including free leaflets as well as an Approved Code of Practice to manage gas Installations and Appliances within a rental Property.
If a landlord is unable to gain access to the property to perform the necessary gas safety checks, they can use the section 21 notice to evict tenants. It is important to note that a section 21 notice is only served when the landlord has made at least three attempts to gain entry for the gas safety inspection and has maintained records of these attempts. If the landlord does not follow the correct procedure and tries evicting their tenants unlawfully they could be accused of harassment and may be fined a significant amount.
What is the reason I need a gas safety certificate?
Landlords must have a gas safety certificate to ensure that the property they lease out is safe for tenants to reside in. This means that they must get regular checks done by an accredited gas engineer to make sure that all appliances are safe to use. Also, they must ensure that the gas pipework, appliances, and flues are in good working order.
This will help to stop any fires, accidents, or carbon monoxide poisoning that could be caused by faulty equipment. Gas Safety Certificates are important for landlords to keep current. They can be penalized for not doing so.
Landlords need to be able demonstrate that they completed their annual gas safety inspections on time. They can do this by checking their Gas Safe register online, or by getting an original copy of the most recent certificate from the engineer who inspected the property. The landlord must fix any appliances that are unsafe or malfunctioning immediately to ensure tenant's safety.
Some landlords may have trouble convincing their tenants to let them access the house for gas safety checks. This can be due to a number of reasons, such as the fact that they feel it's an invasion of privacy or they are currently in a dispute with their landlord. It's an ideal idea to request the landlord write a letter which he explains why a gas safety check is needed and what it's going to involve. gas certificates can be sent by recorded delivery and should give the tenant 14 days to reply.
If the tenant continues to refuse to give access to the landlord, they should consider taking another step. This could be the use of a Section 21 Notice or applying to the court for an Injunction. However, this is a serious decision that should only be considered as a last option.