Disputes between landlords and their tenants are unfortunately relatively common, from paying rent on time to performing needed repairs on the property. But where there needn’t be any argument is whose responsibility the gas safety is. 

In all rented properties, whether it’s for long-term rentals or short-term leases, the landlord has the responsibility to have an annual gas safety check performed on the property and to provide their tenants with the up-to-date record once the check has been done. 

But if you’re new to renting, as a tenant or a landlord, the details may be a bit foggy, so we’ve put together this guide so you know exactly what a gas safety check involves, when they need to be done and how to keep your properties, and your tenants safe. 

 

What is a Gas Safety Certificate?

 

A Gas Safety Certificate is a document given to the landlord once a gas safety check has been completed by a registered gas safety engineer to establish the date the check has been done as well as the safety of the gas work within the property. 

They can be given after a service has been done to the gas work, or a safety check has been performed. They are only legally required to be given to landlords, not to homeowners or directly to tenants. The Gas Safety Certificate will state when the engineer performed the check and when the next one is due. 

The cost of a gas safety check should be borne by the landlord and can vary from £60 to £90, depending on the registered company that performs the check and where you are in the country. Services in London are usually more expensive than elsewhere in the country. You can get quotes from various businesses to find the most suitable fee, as the company has to be registered and therefore should perform safety checks to the same standard.

 

Whose Responsibility is a Gas Safety Certificate?

 

As a landlord or landlady, it is your responsibility to have regular gas safety checks on each of the properties you let, as per the Gas Safety Regulations 1998 (GSIUR). The gas safety check will ensure that the entire property is safe and all gas works are functioning well. This includes:

• Gas appliances 
• Chimneys 
• Fittings
• Flues

However, as well as having a gas safety check on your property, as a landlord, you also have the responsibility of:

• Checking gas safety
• Performing necessary maintenance
• Keeping a safety record

While these are the landlord’s responsibilities for each property, they don’t have to ensure the safety of the tenant’s appliances. You should make this clear to the tenants so they organise their own appliance gas safety checks, as well as inform them of how to turn off the gas and what to do if an emergency occurs. 

 

Checking Gas Safety

 

When you arrange a gas safety check, a registered gas engineer will come to the property to check various parts of the house. They will create a record of each appliance and flue on the property, its location, the date it was checked and any information about the appliance such as further actions that need to be taken to ensure its safety. This record is known as the Landlord Gas Safety Record (LGSR).

The engineer won’t automatically check the gas pipework as part of the safety check, so you should organise this separately to ensure every aspect of gas work in your property is safe for the tenants. The engineers can then examine the pipework and ensure the gas system is sufficiently tight to ensure no gas can escape. 

 

Maintenance

 

Any necessary maintenance on your gas system, pipework, appliances and flues is not necessarily performed during the safety check. During the safety check, the engineer will make note of things that need to undergo maintenance, so you can arrange for another engineer to perform maintenance work as soon as possible. 

Each appliance should have a recommended service date in the paperwork for you to use as a reference, however, if you don’t have access to those, the engineer performing your gas safety check can recommend having the appliance checked. 

You don’t legally have to keep maintenance records as well as gas safety records, however, you should be able to prove that you have kept your appliances maintained and repairs performed when your gas safety check is performed and when you have new tenants in your property. 

 

Keeping a Safety Record

 

Legally, landlords have to keep their last two gas safety records, so you should keep these in a safe place once you have been given them by your registered gas safety engineer. You should also provide your tenants with a copy of the most recent record within 28 days of the check being performed, and give any new tenants a copy when their tenancy begins. 

If your property is being rented for less than 28 days, such as for holiday lets on sites like Airbnb, you should display a copy of the gas safety certificate within the property so each person living in the accommodation can rest assured the property has been assessed for safety while they are there. 

 

How Often Should You Get a Gas Safety Certificate?

 

Gas safety checks should be performed every year, with the Gas Safety Certificate awarded after each check. You shouldn’t let your certificate expire, so you’re advised to arrange the check before the year is complete. You can arrange a gas safety check 10 months after your last safety check without changing the date of the new yearly check. 

For example, if you had one gas safety check in August 2022, and arranged your next check 10 months later in June 2023, your next gas safety check should still be done before August 2024. Any more than 10 months before the Gas Safety Certificate expires, you’ll be given a new deadline for the next gas safety check. 

If you’re not sure about the deadline for your gas safety check, you should contact the Gas Safety Register to be informed of your gas safety status and ensure you have your property assessed on time, or as soon as possible if you’ve missed the deadline. As it is imperative for the safety of your tenants that you have yearly gas safety checks, if you miss a deadline, you can be liable for fines, or even imprisonment. 

 

What If Tenants Don’t Allow the Safety Check?

 

Sometimes tenants don’t wish to be disturbed, so arranging for an engineer to come by can be difficult at times. However, as it is for the safety of the tenant and the landlord’s responsibility, the tenancy agreement signed by both parties should ensure that a gas engineer has permission to enter the property at least once a year for an annual safety check and to provide any necessary maintenance. 

As a landlord, you should also inform your tenants as early as possible that an engineer will come by for a safety inspection so that they can tidy or remove personal items from view as necessary.  

If your tenants still refuse entry to you or the gas safety engineer, you should try to repeat the test at a time that suits them, explain the legal necessity of the safety checks, and keep a record that you have made several attempts to have the gas safety check completed, in case any problems arise later. You can then seek legal advice. 

 

Do You Need Carbon Monoxide Alarms?

 

Carbon monoxide alarms that comply with British Standard EN 50291 are an essential part of gas safety and have been legally required in every habitable room of a rented property that contains a gas appliance except the kitchen, since 1 October 2022. 

Landlords should also ensure the carbon monoxide alarms are working well at the beginning of each tenancy, and the tenants should notify the landlord if they suspect the carbon monoxide alarm is faulty. 

 

Need a Gas Appliance Service? Contact South West Gas Services

 

South West Gas Services has been proudly providing installation, maintenance and yearly safety of gas and oil appliances around Somerset since 2016. We also provide gas safety checks for landlords, so they can keep their tenants safe. 

Take a look at our previous work, or simply contact us today to see how we can help you.