Landlords: What is a Gas Safety Certificate and Why Do You Need One?

The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations of 1998 state that landlords are responsible for the regular maintenance and upkeep of any gas appliances, fittings, chimneys, and flues in their rental properties. This means that if you’re letting out a property with any of those items, you need to book an annual gas safety check to ensure they are all safe and working efficiently.

If you’re unsure what this involves, here is what you can expect to have to arrange as a landlord renting out a home.

1. Gas safety checks

Regular gas safety checks ensure your tenants are safe while renting your home. Each year, we’ll visit your properties and carry out an extensive inspection of all gas appliances, fittings, chimneys, and flues to ensure none of them are posing a risk to your tenants.

Without this regular check, there could be a gas leak or carbon monoxide build up that can be potentially lethal to any occupants.

Once the check has been carried out, you’ll be presented with a Landlord Gas Safety Certificate which proves your property is safe for the next 12 months.

If you fail your gas safety check for any reason, we’ll give you a full explanation as to why and the repairs needed to make sure your home can pass a re-inspection.

2. Gas Safety Record

You need to provide a copy of your Landlord Gas Safety Certificate and record to your tenants so they know their home is safe.

By law, you need to give this to your tenants within 28 days of the check taking place. Any new tenants will need a copy of your most recent check at the start of their tenancy.

If you have a rental agreement of less than 28 days, you should display a copy of your gas safety certificate in the property where all tenants can see it. This will ensure all tenants are aware of the certificate, even for short stays.

3. Gas Maintenance

As a landlord, you are also responsible for the regular maintenance of gas pipework, appliances, chimneys, and flues. If any issue should arise, it’s your responsibility to get it fixed quickly and effectively to keep the property safe.

Rather than waiting for issues to arise, we strongly suggest annual servicing. This will ensure all of your appliances are safe and efficient and will keep the boiler in your property in good working order.

Having regular maintenance also means costly repairs are less likely to arise, saving you money in the long run.

There are no legal requirements for you to keep records of gas maintenance done on your property, but it is a good idea to do so. This way, if something does go wrong, you can prove you took all necessary precautions to stop it from happening.

Need a Gas Safe engineer in Birmingham?

If you’re a landlord in Birmingham, we can take care of all the gas and plumbing needs of your rental properties. Our team of Gas Safe engineers carry out regular servicing, maintenance, and repairs for countless landlords throughout the West Midlands.

We offer a rapid emergency call out, affordable rates, and extensive services to keep your properties safe and within regulations. Call us now to find out more about how we can help you: 0121 429 7833