14 Feb 2016 A Landlord’s Responsibility when it Comes to Gas Safety: What You should Know Business
Whether you are a person who rents a property or whether you own the property yourself and rent it out to someone, the law in the United Kingdom applies – and both renter and owner need to understand a landlord’s responsibility when it comes to gas safety. Gas safety is an important issue as problems with gas can lead to illness (and even death) and can cause enormous destruction as well. Here are the essentials on landlord responsibilities for gas safety which you should keep in mind:
Gas safety Regulations
The owner’s or landlord’s responsibilities regarding gas safety are prescribed in the Gas Safety Regulations of 1998. These regulations include safety for gas appliances, gas fittings, and gas flues. All must be deemed safe before they are allowed to be put to use.
The landlord’s responsibilities
The landlord has three main responsibilities: safe installation and maintenance, safety checks, and record-keeping. Here we discuss them in more detail:
- Safe installation and maintenance. The installation of the gas and the gas appliance must be done by a professional – or must at least be checked and approved by a Gas Safety Engineer before being put to use. This also means that the maintenance must happen regularly and that all gas appliances must be kept in safe condition. It is important that everything is installed and maintained according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Safety checks. All gas appliances, fittings, and flues must be checked at least every twelve months. These safety checks are there to ensure that everything is still safe to use and to discover any potential problems or issues that must be fixed. In case something is deemed unsafe – or in case of doubt – the fixture must be replaced or repaired immediately, without delay.
- Record-keeping. Every safety check done by the landlord must be carefully recorded and a report must be made. This report must be handed over to the tenant before they move in, or a maximum of 28 days after the safety checks were conducted. These records are very important and the landlord is required to keep these records for at least two years.
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Some other provisions
There are some provisions that also have a bearing on gas safety and the landlord’s responsibility. Here are the three main ones:
- The landlord is not responsible for safety checks of appliances provided by the tenant, not the landlord.
- The landlord is required to explain carefully to the tenant what to do in case of emergency.
The landlord should provide a clause in the contract that they have the right to inspect the property at certain times to make sure the tenant cannot refuse entry.