Where a let property uses a gas supply it must be covered by a yearly Gas Safe certificate. This certificate is issued by a registered Gas Safe engineer.
All landlords have to have a valid gas safety record for the gas equipment in the property they rent out. Gas safety records are valid for 12 months and can only be issued by Gas Safe Register gas operatives. In order to give a gas safety record, the gas operative must carry out a gas safety check.
Following the annual gas safety check and receipt of your Landlord Gas Safety Record, you’ll need to provide a record of this check to your tenants. By law, a copy of your Landlord Gas Safety Record should be given to your current tenants within 28 days of the gas safety check – and for new tenants, you’ll need to provide this at the start of their tenancy.
What is a gas safety record?
A Gas Safety Record is the documentation that will be given to you by a gas engineer after they’ve done gas work at your property. The documentation provided will often depend on the type of work they’ve undertaken – be it a service or a safety check. The record will list all appliances, including those owned by the tenant, although landlords are only responsible for the appliances that they own.
What does a gas safety check involve?
Gas safety checks must be carried out by a Gas Safe Register gas installer. Gas Safe Register is the nationalwatchdog for gas safety in the UK.
The engineer will check:
- the gas supply pipework
- that all gas appliances are working safely
- that all gas flues are working safely and are suitable
- that gas appliances have adequate ventilation.
You should get a gas safety check carried out at least once a year. It is a landlord’s responsibility to arrange this.
If the gas operative identifies any problems which affect gas safety, the landlord has to get them repaired. The gas operative will take the appropriate action to make the installation safe, which may include disconnecting faulty equipment. They can also ask the Gas Emergency Service Provider to cut off the supply to the property if necessary.
How much does it cost?
The average cost of a gas safety certificate is around £50 – £90, dependant on where you live in the UK and the number of gas appliances involved.
Maintenance
You’ll need to make sure that all gas pipework, appliances, chimneys and flues are kept in safe condition. Check the gas appliances’ manufacturer guidelines to find out how often a service is recommended. If you haven’t got access to these, we’d recommend an annual service – unless your Gas Safe registered engineer suggests otherwise.
Installation pipework isn’t covered by the annual gas safety check, but both we and the HSE recommend that when you request a safety check, you ask your Gas Safe registered engineer to:
- Test for tightness on the whole gas system, including installation pipework
- Visually examine the pipework (so far as is reasonably practicable)
There are no formal requirements for you to keep maintenance records, but you’ll need to be able to show that you have regularly maintained the pipework, appliances and flues and completed required repairs.
More information can be found on the Gas Safe Register