Every landlord is required to conduct gas safety inspections. This section covers everything a landlord needs to know about complying with Gas Safety Regulations. Learn when a gas inspection is required and when you must provide a Gas Safety Certificate to your tenant.
What are the gas safety regulations for property managers?
Landlords and letting agents have legal obligations to maintain the safety of gas fittings and appliances in rental properties under the Gas Safety Regulations (Installation and Use) 1998. Under these guidelines, landlords are responsible for guaranteeing gas equipment safety.
Supply lines for gas appliances Exhaust lines for gas appliances To do this, yearly maintenance inspections on all systems and appliances and a meter check for any potential leaks are undertaken. Schedule your yearly gas safety inspection with us.
What are the advantages of the 2018 Gas Safety Regulations?
In April 2018, the Gas Safety Regulations (Installation and Use) – (Amendment) 2018 went into effect. (The Rules). When it came time to renew the Gas Safety Certificate, this provided property owners more leeway. Before implementing the changes, the Gas Safety Certificate UK consulted with stakeholders between November 2016 and January 2017. Previously, landlords were required to conduct gas safety assessments “within 12 months” of installation or the last check.
Landlords typically begin this practice early to avoid tenant access issues. As a result, instead of the required 10, 11 inspections may be undertaken per decade. The Gas Safety Regulations give landlords more leeway than they did before 2018, yet this does not affect tenant safety. The Approved Code of Practice and Guidance provides thorough instructions on fulfilling the prerequisites.
The changes provided more flexibility in the timing of annual gas safety testing without penalizing anyone for the shorter safety check cycle. The lower risk of ‘over compliance’ and the improved quality of maintenance planning made available by this freedom benefited both the tenant and the landlord.
How often should I have a gas safety inspection performed?
Landlords must recertify the safety of their gas equipment every year. Landlords have until two months before the Gas Safety Regulations 2018’s ‘deadline date’ to update the gas safety record. To prevent losing any of the current Gas Safety Certificate validity period, the due date is at the end of the 12-month term, which is months 11 and 12.
After 12 months, the record is assumed to have been checked on the last day of validity. If your current Gas Safety Certificate expires on October 1, 2022, you could do the necessary check on August 1, 2022, and your new certificate will be good until October 1, 2023. It is also critical to remember that you will only be eligible for this “MOT-style” renewal if you can show that the previous two gas checks were conducted on time. If the current gas safety record expires less than 12 months from the last gas safety check. And the landlord cannot provide proof of the two preceding a Gas Safety Certificate, the current gas safety record will expire.
Can you clarify what a gas safety inspection entails?
As part of a gas safety inspection, a qualified Gas Safe Registered Engineer will visit the rental property once a year to inspect the gas hob, oven, boiler, and hot water cylinder. While there, the engineer will be in charge of the following:
- Visually inspect all gas appliances.
- Gas flow rate and burner pressure must be documented.
- Check for leaks at the gas meter to ensure everything is correctly sealed.
- Determine the quality of the device’s exhaust gasses.
- Ascertain that the condensate drain is clear and clean.
- First, provide adequate airflow and ventilation.
- Check that all safety equipment is in working order.
- Look for clear damage indicators in your radiators and hot water storage tanks.
- The boiler’s flue system must be visually inspected (including loft space if required)
- Check that the internal pressure container of the boiler is in good operating order.
- Confirm that your gas is safe to use.
A Gas Safety Certificate should not be mistaken for a gas or boiler service. While a check includes inspection and testing, it does not cover the cost of repairing defective appliances.
