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Landlord Gas Safety Certificate and Boiler Service As a landlord, it's your responsibility to ensure that all gas appliances, chimneys and flues are regularly inspected. It is also your responsibility to provide a copy to your tenants. If the engineer determines that a particular appliance or installation is immediately dangerous, they will request permission to shut off gas from the system and recommend the installation of inspection hatches. What is a Gas Safety Certificate? A gas safety certificate for landlords is a document which demonstrates that all of the gas appliances in the rental property and flues have been examined by a licensed gas engineer. Landlords are legally required to organize a gas safety check annually for each rental property they own. Gas Safe registered engineers carry the inspection and verify that all pipes, appliances and flues conform with safety standards. The law also requires landlords to provide tenants with a copy CP12 Gas Safety Certificate, (Gas Safety Record), following every annual inspection and test for gas safety. This should be provided to tenants in the 28 days of the Gas Safety inspection and given to any new tenants at the start of their tenancy. CP12 is an abbreviation used for the CORGI Proforma 12 which was employed by the Council for Registered Gas Installers (CORGI) before being replaced by the Gas Safe Register in 2009. The form shows the date of the last gas inspection and test, the results, any actions or issues that need to be addressed, and the name of the engineer who carried out the test. If the Gas Safety check highlights any problems with a gas device and the engineer will give advice on what should be done to make it safe for use. If what is a gas safety certificate is deemed immediately dangerous or abnormally dangerous the gas supply should be disconnected until the problem is fixed. It is illegal to a tenant who refuses to allow the gas safety check to be carried out. A landlord may apply to the courts for an injunction if necessary, however it is generally more efficient to simply send a strongly worded letter explaining the reasons why it is crucial that the checks are made and what they will involve. This will encourage the tenant who is hesitant to let access to the property. If not the landlord has to initiate the eviction process. How often should I renew my Gas Safety Certificate? The landlords and letting agencies are required by law to carry out an annual gas safety inspection on all gas appliances and flues that they provide to tenants. This is done to ensure that the equipment is safe to use and that there are no gas leaks within the property. This is an essential responsibility and landlords should be sure to get their gas inspections done by a licensed gas engineer. The Gas Safety Certificate, formerly known as the Gas Safety Check Record, is a legal document which indicates that an engineer completed a gas inspection in the last 12 months. It is issued by the landlord and must be provided to the tenant to verify the safety of gas supply. It is valid for 12 months and has to be renewed every year. If a landlord does not provide their tenants with the Gas Safety Certificate then they are in violation of the law and could be punished by the local authority. It is therefore essential for landlords to have their Gas Safety checks carried out on time and to keep a copy the documents in case a tenant requests it. Installing inspection hatches on all gas appliances is a good idea, as it allows engineers to quickly access the appliances for their annual inspections. If the appliance is deemed to be in danger during an inspection, the engineer will formally declare it to be at risk and shut off the boiler and recommend that tenants not to use it until the inspection hatch is installed. Landlords must also give their tenants at least 24 hours' notice prior entering the property to conduct Gas Safety Checks. This allows tenants time to prepare and ask permission if needed. If a tenant does not allow the engineer's entry the landlord must explain why this is necessary and what would happen in the event that the tenant refuses. If the tenant still refuses the engineer entry, then the landlord must consider evicting them using section 21 of the Housing Act 1988. What happens if I don't get a Gas Safety Certificate? In short, it's the landlord's legal responsibility to ensure that their property is equipped with a valid gas safety certification before tenants move in. Failing to do so is an offence that can cause landlords to be charged and liable to heavy fines. The regulations stipulate that landlords must also furnish copies of the gas safety certificates to their tenants upon request. Landlords must have a Gas Safe registered engineer visit their rental property to perform an inspection of all gas appliances. During the inspection, a Gas Safe registered engineer will be able to identify any issues that could pose a risk to tenants. They will issue the CP12 gas safety certificate which is known as the Landlord Gas Safety Record or a Gas Safety Certificate. This is an important piece of documentation that every tenant should be able to access and keep. This document contains information about gas installations in a rental property and the dates they were tested as well as their expiration dates. It will help tenants recognize any issues with their installation or appliances and ensure they know how to reach a Gas Safe engineer to have them checked. Landlords must provide a gas safety report to their tenants, both new and existing, within 28 days after the engineer has visited their property. The landlord must also give an original copy of CP12 at the beginning of the tenancy. Landlords that fail to provide the the gas certificate can be prosecuted and face unlimited fines or even six months in prison. Similar to this landlords must make sure that carbon monoxide detectors are working in their homes and have them tested each month. The landlord is responsible for repairing an alarm that does not work. The rules around this apply to council, private and housing association landlords, as well as to licensable houses of multiple Occupation (HMOs). In June 2017 In June 2017, the High Court ruled that it was unlawful for landlords to send Section 21 notices without providing their tenants with an official Gas Safety Certificate. The ruling was based on the law that stipulates that landlords with assured shorthold leases must have an approved gas safety certificate for their property before tenants move in. How can I obtain a Gas Safety Certificate (GSC)? Landlords are legally responsible to ensure that gas appliances, flues, and pipework in the properties they lease are safe. Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 regulate this. To be in compliance with the regulations landlords are required to conduct annual gas checks on all gas appliances and flues that they install to tenants. This is referred to as a CP12 gas safety certificate, and it has to be signed by a licensed Gas Safe registered engineer after each inspection. Landlords should also consider having a boiler inspection done simultaneously with the CP12 inspection. This will ensure that all gas appliances are operating properly and safely. Landlords can usually receive a combination CP12 and boiler service for an affordable price from a professional gas engineer. They will be able to examine the seals on boiler burners. They will also inspect the flue system for cracks and leaks cleaning the heat exchanger and burner and conduct general maintenance. The CP12 is often referred to by the term “landlord's gas safety certificate”, although it is actually called the Gas Safety Record Documentation. It contains the results of all safety inspections and details of any actions or issues that require attention. Landlords are required to give their tenants the CP12 document not later than 28 days after the Gas Safety Check is completed. It is crucial that landlords and letting agents only allow Gas Safe registered engineers access to the property to conduct safety inspections and for maintenance. It is crucial to educate tenants on the importance of allowing gas engineers access to their property and explain that the engineer's job is to safeguard them from carbon dioxide poisoning. If the tenant does not permit access the agent or landlord must explain the legal obligations in writing. They should then go to the property and 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 qualified to work with the systems in your home and can therefore be trusted to carry out the safety check. Be aware that a gas engineer is able to legally disconnect faulty equipment or cut off the gas supply in case of need.