Gas Safety For Tenants

Gas Safety For Tenants and Rentals

 

When you take over a tenancy it’s important you receive a copy of a gas safety certificate

Before you use any of the gas appliances including the central heating.
Gas safety for tenants is sometimes overlooked if renting from private landlords, especially first time landlords,

but the law states that any rented property, even if only rented for one day has to have a gas safety inspection certificate in place.

Faulty gas fittings, flues and appliances can be a danger to life,

So it’s very important a gas safety certificate is valid for the property in question.

All gas appliances are checked for safety, ensuring they are of no danger to the user.

The gas supply is checked at the gas meter to check for any gas leaks.

If your landlord did not give you a copy of the gas safety certificate then
I would advise you to call in a local Gas Safe Registered Company to carry out the safety checks before you use any of the appliances.

You want to know you will be safe when you use the appliances.

 

Tell the landlord you are arranging for a local gas safe registered company to come and test your appliances.

He may not like it, but the law states any property rented must have a certificate in place before renting out, it’s your right to know you are safe.

If he tells you that he has a certificate or is arranging for one to be carried out, tell him you need it now.

Worst scenario, report him to gas safe who will investigate and prosecute.

Carbon monoxide

as we know can and will kill, you cannot see it or even smell it, so it’s worthwhile investing in a carbon monoxide detector,

they are not very expensive around £15-20. A good landlord will have already fitted one to his property.

Like I said at the begging gas safety for tenants seems to get overlooked for some reason, know your rights before you take over a tenancy.

You have the same rights as anybody to be safe the property you live in.

 

If you are a student we all know it can the best time of your life so always be safe? Don’t fall asleep in front of a gas fire, turn it off and be safe.

Gas Safe has information on their website about gas safety for tenants.

What Is Gas Safe?

What Is Gas Safe 

Gas safe is the registration body for anyone who works on gas, be it an individual or a company, even the likes of British Gas has to be registered with Gas Safe.

The law states that anyone who works on gas has to be registered with gas safe.

Just because someone is registered it does not mean they can work on all gas appliances.
Each appliance is categorized so someone who is registered for fires may not be able to work on boilers unless they are registered for boilers.

Every gas safe registered person is issued with a gas safe card, on that card will be a picture of the person registered, the gas safe number as well as their personal license number.

On the back of the card will be details of what that person can work on, there is also a section stating the gas type, NG for natural gas and LPG for liquid petroleum gas.

Before any work is carried out, it’s very important to check to make sure that the person who will be carrying out the work is registered for the appliance in question.

Each year the registered person has to renew with gas safe to be able to carry on working with gas.

Everyone's registration expires on the 31st March and has to be renewed on or before the 1st April.

You can also double check the person is registered and up to date by visiting the gas safe registered online, by entering their details you will see everything they are able to work on as well as their picture.

Whatever you do don’t DIY on gas, by law you have to use a gas safe registered person, even if it’s connecting up a simple thing like a gas cooker on a flexible hose into the bayonet.

Gas Safe aims to protect the public from rogue tradesmen and unsafe gas work if you have any form of gas work carried out and feel something is not quite right then contact gas safe. They will investigate for you.

If you are a tenant then it’s the landlord's responsibility to have all gas appliances checked within the property every 12 months without fail.

When you take possession of the property you should ask to see a copy of the current gas safety certified, you should be given a copy on signing your tenancy agreement this is your right.

When you see the certificate check it over to make sure it is still in date. If the certificate still has 6 months to run, you can ask that the property is checked again, just to make sure everything is still safe.

Sometimes previous tenants have had a dispute with the landlord and may have caused a problem with the gas appliances, so it’s best to have them checked over, again this is your right.

Should the landlord refuse then you can contact gas safe and they will contact the landlord to discuss the issue.

Gas Safe work with the health and safety and should they come across any illegal work they will investigate and prosecute the person or company in question.

Duval Heating Gas Safe Registered Engineers LPG