Landlords - do you know where you stand on gas safety?

In 2011, the Gas Safety Register launched Gas Safety Week as a way to open a national conversation with suppliers, organisations, the Government and individuals  around the importance of gas safety, in the hope that future death or injury can be avoided.

Although we need to be aware of gas safety throughout the year, Gas Safety Week is a good time to remind landlords of their obligations when it comes to ensuring a safe environment for their tenants.

CO-Gas Safety data shows that on average, there are 40 deaths and 300 injuries per year due to carbon monoxide poisoning. As it can be hard to determine poisoning on those who have died unexpectedly through a blood sample or breath test, this figure may in truth be much higher.

Your responsibility towards your tenants

As a landlord, you have legal duties which span many different types of properties, including private residential accommodation, housing associations, bed sits, and hotels among others.

Under The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulation of 1998 you have three key responsibilities:

1. Gas safety checks – To ensure your tenants’ safety, all gas appliances, pipework and chimneys or flues need to undergo an annual gas safety check by a Gas Safe registered engineer. Once this has been carried out, you’ll be given a gas safety certificate with details of all the checks.
2. Gas safety certificate – Following the annual gas safety check, you need to provide your tenants with a copy of the gas safety certificate, also known as a CP12 certificate. You need to keep copies of the gas safety certificate for at least two years. Landlords should provide new tenants with a copy of the gas safety certificate at the start of the tenancy and existing tenants within 28 days of each annual gas safety check, if there is a gas installation.
3. Maintenance – It is a landlord’s responsibility to make sure that all gas pipework, appliances, chimneys and flues are kept in safe condition. All gas appliances need to be serviced regularly. This needs to happen annually or according to the appliances instructions and should always be carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer.

The Government provides guidelines on gas safety for landlords and letting agents.