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A gas safety check or inspection is a regulatory compliance requirement in the UK and many other countries. Despite this, research shows that more than one in three private landlords were not aware that it is their responsibility to get gas appliances checked.
What is a Gas Safety Check?
A Gas Safety Check is an inspection carried out by a Gas Registered Engineer in which they will visit your property to assess all gas appliances, fittings and lines. Each appliance is recorded and checked to determine whether it can be used. If any appliance is not fit for use, you will be informed by the engineer.
A gas safety check requires the engineer to check the following:
Provision of necessary ventilation
The burner gas/pressure rate against the data plate provided by the manufacturer.
The presence, stability and effectiveness of brackets
The working and standard pressure (if available)
The operation of safety devices
The appliances that measure gas tightness
Testing of flue flow
Issuing the landlord's gas safety certification
It is essential to arrange an annual check with a Gas Registered Engineer on all gas appliances and flues; Gas Safety Checks can be conducted 2 months before the current certificate expires. The check usually takes around 30 to 60 minutes to be conducted for a normal property. However, if repairs are needed then expect this time to increase.
Are all Gas Appliances the Landlord's Responsibility?
Before letting your property, make sure all appliances & gas equipment (whether provided by you or left by previous tenants) are safe. Ensure they are fixed or removed if this is not the case.
Conduct regular inspections as it is the responsibility of the landlord to make sure gas pipework is in safe, working condition. Between tenancies, you should get a registered engineer to check the pipework and appliances to minimise disruption.
Installation pipework is not covered by the annual gas safety check so be sure to ask your engineer to carry out a tightness test on the gas system and visually examine the pipework for any defects. If the tenant has their own gas appliances, it is still your responsibility to maintain the pipework. However, it is not your duty to check the appliances itself or any connecting flues.
Getting your Gas Safety Record
When your annual gas safety check is performed, your Gas Registered Engineer will provide you with a record which must then be shared with your tenant within 28 days of the check or to a new tenant when their tenancy commences. It is important to keep these records for 2 years, either electronically or as a hard copy.
Gas Safety Failures
As of January 2013, there must be suitably sized inspection hatches installed on all flues that remove fumes from a room sealed, fan assisted boiler that are contained in a void. This is to allow the Gas Registered Engineer the ability to inspect the whole length of the flue.
A gas registered engineer will deem the following “at risk”:
Inaccessible flue
Incorrect hatch placement that prevents inspection of the entirety of the flue
Inadequate hatch size
If deemed “at risk”, the engineer will place ‘Danger safety warning do not use’ label to the appliance.The ‘Do not use’ sticker must not be removed and appliances must not be turned on under any circumstance until an engineer has rectified the defects. If the appliance in question provides heating, it is your duty as the landlord to provide emergency heating until remedial works have been completed
Gas Safety Checks at Elliot Leigh
At Elliot Leigh Guaranteed Rent, we have multiple Gas Registered Engineers making up our in-house maintenance team, ready to complete checks at your property on behalf of you. Our dedicated property management team will keep you up to date on Gas Safety renewals ensuring that your property always meets regulation.
For more information & further benefits of our Guaranteed Rent scheme, click here.