We are proud to be supporting Gas Safety Week 2015, taking place 14th – 20st September. Here we’d like to highlight the importance of landlords legal obligations when it comes to gas safety for their tenants.
Gas Safety Week is an annual safety week to raise awareness of gas safety and the importance of taking care of your gas appliances. It is co-ordinated by Gas Safe Register, the official list of gas engineers who are legally allowed to work on gas.
Badly fitted and poorly serviced gas appliances can cause gas leaks, fires, explosions and carbon monoxide poisoning. In the last year, at least 68,000 homes in the UK escaped deadly gas incidents such as these, by engineers switching off dangerous appliances. At Heatfinders we often come across unsafe gas appliances which left unchecked could be potentially fatal. Despite this, every year thousands of people across the UK are diagnosed with carbon monoxide poisoning. It is a highly poisonous gas. You can’t see it, taste it or smell it, but it can kill quickly with no warning.
Landlords are legally responsible for the safety of their tenants and should make sure maintenance and annual safety checks on gas appliances are carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
Landlords Legal Obligations
If you’re a landlord, you are legally obliged to make sure:
- All appliances and flues provided for tenants use have an annual safety check. Set a reminder so you don’t forget at www.staygassafe.co.uk.
- Maintenance and annual safety checks are carried out by an engineer registered with Gas Safe Register. You can find and check an engineer at www.GasSafeRegister.co.uk or call 0800 408 5500.
- Pipe-work, appliances and flues provided for tenants are maintained in a safe condition.
- All gas equipment (including any appliance left by a previous tenant) is safe or otherwise removed before re-letting.
- A Gas Safety Record is provided to the tenant within 28 days of completion or to any new tenant before they move in.
- You keep a copy of the Gas Safety Record for two years.
We would also recommend the installation of audible carbon monoxide alarms. This will alert your tenants if there is carbon monoxide in the property. For gas safety advice or to find and check an engineer visit the Gas Safe Register website at www.GasSafeRegister.co.uk. Alternatively call the free helpline on 0800 408 5500.
