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Landlord Gas Safety Certificate and Boiler Service As a landlord, it's your responsibility to make sure that all gas appliances, chimneys and flues are regularly inspected. The law also requires you provide a copy the check to your tenants. If the engineer determines that an appliance or installation as being immediately dangerous, they will request permission to shut off the gas supply and recommend that inspection hatches be put in place. What is an Gas Safety Certificate (GSC)? A gas safety certificate for landlords is an official document that proves that all gas appliances and flues in the rental property have been checked by an accredited gas engineer. Landlords are legally required to organize a gas safety check once per year for each rental property they own. The inspection is performed by a Gas Safe registered engineer and checks to ensure that all of the pipework, appliances, and flues are in good working condition and that they are in compliance with safety regulations. The law also requires landlords to provide tenants with a copy of the CP12 Gas Safety Certificate, (Gas Safety Record) after every annual inspection and test for gas safety. This should be provided to current tenants within 28 days of the Gas Safety inspection and given to any new tenants at the start of their tenancy. CP12 is the abbreviation used for the CORGI Proforma 12 that was employed by CORGI before it was replaced in 2009 by the Gas Safe Register. The form identifies the date of the last gas inspection or test as well as the results, any issues or actions that need to be addressed, and the name of the engineer who carried out the test. If the Gas Safety check highlights any issues with a gas appliance and the engineer will give advice on what should be done to ensure its safe use. If an appliance is deemed Immediately Dangerous, or Abnormally dangerous the gas supply needs to be shut off until the issue has been resolved. If a tenant refuses to allow access for the gas safety checks to be carried out the tenant is guilty of an offence that is criminal. A landlord can ask the courts for an injunction should it be necessary, but it is generally easier to send a clearly worded letter explaining the reason why the checks are made and what they will involve. This can encourage a reluctant tenant to allow access and, in the event that they do not, the landlord might be required to begin the process of eviction. How often should I obtain a Gas Safety Certificate? By law, landlords and agents for letting are required to conduct an annual safety check of the chimneys and gas appliances they offer to their tenants. This is to ensure that their equipment is safe for use and there are no gas leaks within the property. This is a crucial responsibility and landlords should be sure to get their gas inspections done by a qualified gas engineer. The Gas Safety Certificate, formerly known as the Gas Safety Check Record, is a legal document which affirms that an engineer has completed a gas check within the last 12 months. It is issued by the landlord and should be provided to the tenant to prove the security of the gas supply. It is valid for a period of 12 months and has to be renewed each year. A landlord who does not provide the Gas Safety Certificate for their tenants could be fined. It is therefore vital for landlords to ensure that their Gas Safety checks carried out on time and keep a copy of the documentation in the event that a tenant asks for it. Installing inspection hatches on all gas appliances is a good idea, because it lets engineers easily access the appliances for their annual inspections. The engineer will label the appliance as 'at-risk' and may recommend that tenants refrain from using the boiler until the inspection hatch is installed. Landlords should also make sure that they give tenants at least 24 hours notice prior to the time they enter the property to conduct Gas Safety checks. This allows the tenants to prepare for the visit and provide permission, if required. If a tenant is refusing entry to the engineer the landlord has to explain the reason for this and what will happen should the tenant refuse. If the tenant still refuses, then the landlord should think about evicting them under section 21 of the Housing Act 1988. What happens if you don't have a Gas Safety Certificate? In short, it's a landlord's legal duty to ensure that their property is equipped with a valid gas safety certificate before tenants move in. Failing to do so is an offense that could result in landlords being punished with severe fines. The regulations stipulate that landlords are required to provide copies of the gas safety records to their tenants upon request. Gas Safe registered engineers must visit the rental property of the landlord to perform a gas inspection on all gas appliances. During the inspection, an engineer will note any problems that could pose a danger to tenants. They will issue an CP12 gas safety document, which is also known as the Landlord Gas Safety Record or a Gas Safety Certificate. This is a crucial document that every tenant should keep. It contains information on the gas appliances in a rented property, as well as details regarding when they last checked and the expiry dates. It can help tenants spot any issues with the installation or appliances and ensure that they are aware of how to contact an Gas Safe engineer to have them checked. Landlords are required to provide an inspection report on gas safety to their tenants, both new and current within 28 days of the date that the engineer has visited their property. The landlord must also provide the copy of CP12 at the beginning of the tenancy. Landlords who fail to provide an original copy of the gas safety certificate can be prosecuted under the rules and may be subject to unlimited fines or a six-month imprisonment. Similar to this landlords must make sure that carbon monoxide detectors are in operation in their properties and make arrangements for them to be tested each month. If the alarm isn't working, the landlord must fix it. The rules around this apply to private, council and housing association landlords and also to licensable houses of multiple Occupation (HMOs). In June 2017 in June 2017, the High Court decided that it was illegal for landlords to issue Section 21 notices if they did not provide their tenants with a valid gas safety certification. The decision was based upon a law that requires landlords who have assured shorthold tenancies to have an official gas safety certificate for their property prior to when tenants move into it. How do I get a Gas Safety Certificate (GSC)? Landlords are legally responsible to ensure that gas appliances, flues and pipework in the homes they lease are safe. Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations, 1998 cover this. To be in gas certificate with the regulations, landlords are required to conduct annual gas checks of all gas appliances and flues that they install for use in a property. This is known as a CP12 Gas Safety Certificate and must be completed by a qualified Gas Safe Registered Engineer after each inspection. Landlords should also think about having a boiler inspection done in conjunction with an CP12 inspection. This will ensure that all gas appliances are working properly and safely. Gas engineers can provide the combination CP12 inspection and boiler service at a reasonable cost. They will examine the seals of boiler burners as well as look for leaks and cracks within the flue system, clean the heat exchanger, and carry out general maintenance. The CP12 is often referred to by the term “landlord's gas safety certificate” but it is actually known as the Gas Safety Record Documentation. It contains the results of safety tests, as well as details of any problems or actions that must be taken care of. Landlords must give their tenants a copy of the CP12 document within 28 days of the Gas Safety check being completed. It is essential that landlords or letting agents only permit Gas Safe registered engineers to enter the premises to conduct safety inspections and maintenance. It's important to educate tenants about the importance of allowing gas engineers access to the property. They should explain that the engineer is there to safeguard them from carbon dioxide poisoning. If the tenant is unwilling to allow access it's the landlord's or letting agent's responsibility explain the legal responsibilities in writing, and follow with a visit to the property to force entry if needed. Gas Safe ID cards should be requested by tenants prior to allowing them to enter the property. This will confirm that the engineer is competent to work on the systems in your home and can therefore be trusted to perform the safety check. It's also worth bearing in mind that the gas engineer is legally able to shut off any malfunctioning equipment and cut off gas lines when necessary.