Landlords are legally obliged to prepare for regular gas and electrical safety inspections to be carried out at their premises in compliance with the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Legislation 1998 and as revised in 2018.
This easy-to-use guide to gas protection will help you thoroughly on the landlords gas and electrical certificates, including the Government’s recent COVID-19 advice on landlord gas safety controls.
What are the Responsibility and Gas Safety Checks?
Both landlords in the United Kingdom are expected to provide or carry out three tasks: Annual Gas Security Review:
· Records of the Gas Safety (sometimes called a Gas Safety Certificate or CP12 record)
· Continuous repair of gas appliances
When renters leave leased properties, Landlords need to guarantee the gas fittings and equipment are protected from re-lease. Appropriate inspections should be carried out and all faulty facilities rectified or replaced prior to the start of a new tenancy.
Whether you are a landlord who wants guidance on obtaining a gas protection record or a CP12 record, if you need to know how to keep your gas appliances secure.
What is Annual Gas Safety Checks?
Once a year, owners can prepare for a Gas Secure Home Specialist to inspect their property to ensure that gas fittings and equipment meet with safety requirements. If the gas safety review has been completed, you will be given a Gas Safety record or a CP12 record.
The following checks shall be carried out by the licensed Gas Safe Home Expert at your property:
· Check that the equipment is well ventilated and that there is a constant supply of fresh air to enable the gas to burn properly.
· Check the gas tightness installation and appliances
· Check if all protection systems are operating efficiently
· Inspect the flue or chimney to ensure that no gases escape the property through the required method.
· Declare the appliance dangerous if it finds any faults.
· Be sure that the gas appliances are not misused, e.g., the cooker must not be used to heat the bed.
Please note: if you are a landlord whose tenants have carried some of their own gas equipment, you are liable for any pipework that provides them with gas.
Why Do Landlord Need Gas Safety Certificate?
Landlords are mandated by regulation to have their Gas Safety record checked every year to show that all life-saving gas safety inspections have been carried out at your house. Once you have done the gas safety audit, you will be given a Gas Safety record or a CP12 record. As the owner of the house, you are expected to give a copy to your tenants within 28 days or to give a copy to new tenants when they move in.
Top tip: It’s also a brilliant idea as a conscientious landlord to teach potential residents how to switch off the gas in the mains and advise them what to do in a gas emergency.
If you choose to save on the expense of your Gas Safety Audit, you can take Landlord Insurance, which comes with an available Gas Safety Certificate (CP12) and a boiler service, is free of charge for the first year. Some homeowners are struggling to select whether to add a gas boiler.
What is a Gas Boiler?
A gas boiler is a heating device that burns gas to heat water for your house. This hot water is then transported through the pipes to fuel and to a cylinder or directly into your tap for warm water (depending on the type of boiler installed).
Gas boilers may be either operated by natural gas or by liquid petroleum gas (LPG). Boiler repair service London is supplied with fuel from the underground network, whereas LPG boilers have gas contained in bottles or cylinders – which need to be filled on a daily basis.
Gas-fueled boilers need an annual operation to ensure that they run securely and effectively. Many suppliers find annual services a prerequisite for their manufacturer-backed warranties. Having an annual service will give you peace of mind in ensuring that your heating system is functioning efficiently.
Electric boilers, on the other side, do not need an annual service. They are usually constructed with fewer moving pieces, so ensuring that adjustments are done as appropriate appears to be the only maintenance that is necessary.
How Much Do Electrical Protection Inspections Have to Be Carried Out?
It’s every five years. For those who have previously had an electrical safety audit carried out on their property and hold a current Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) Safety Certificate, additional checks would not have to be carried out until five years after the date of issue.
What is an EICR exactly?
The EICR Certificate of Safety is an official document, similar to the Landlords’ Gas Safety Certificate (formerly referred to as the CP12 Certificate), which is issued after a property has been duly inspected and passed by a trained and a professional electrician following an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR).
The stage of the report is structured to show any problems that are not evident from a mere visual check. The review of the EICR shall render the owner of the property know of any faulty work or defects and shall notify the owner of any out-of-date protection requirements in place.
