Homes provided for rent by local authorities, the council, housing associations, and private sector landlords require Gas Safety Certificates.
As a mandatory and legal requirement, the council holds the power to enforce fines for those who fail to provide compliance documents such as Gas Safety Certificates.
These vital records, also known as CP12, are important documents that detail the status of the gas appliances within a property.
Here at Propcert, we explain everything there is to know about Gas Safety Certificates as knowledge about this legal requirement can help to protect all parties involved in the rental agreement.
Why are Gas Safety Certificates necessary?
Gas usage among homes is high as the Climate Change Committee reports that 85% or 23 million residential buildings are connected to the gas grid, using a boiler.
Gas appliances are used daily to do regular tasks such as cooking and heating the home. Therefore, gas appliances including boilers, gas hobs, and gas fires must be checked often.
With the use of this so integrated with everyday life, it is sometimes easy to forget that regular checks must be conducted to ensure that appliances are not faulty or hazardous.
Those responsible for the home who fail to comply could incur fines, a criminal charge, or put a tenant in danger.
The NHS reports that in England and Wales there are 60 annual deaths caused by carbon monoxide exposure. By getting gas safety checks every 12 months commercial landlords can help lower the number of casualties caused by unsafe gas emissions.
The gas safety check process explained
Gas Safety Certificates should not be confused with gas or boiler servicing because repairs are not involved during the checks involved. Once the engineer provides you with the certificate, it is your responsibility to arrange for any faulty appliances to get repaired.
Qualified professionals who have trained for their Gas Safe Certification and who are authorised to work on gas appliances are listed on the Gas Safe Register .
The price of a Gas Safety Certificate varies depending on the company that provides the check. However, the common practice is the more gas appliances there are to check, the more it will cost.
At Propcert we provide these nationwide and we offer a competitive fixed-fee service.
Although risks associated with improper gas installations are a cause for concern, qualified professionals can advise what the appropriate solution is. If any gas appliances and flues that could put a resident in danger are discovered, the engineer will also turn this off.
Professional engineers will check whether the flues and chimneys are clear and also test devices are working.
During the gas safety check process, the engineer will provide details of any safety issues that are found, information about the landlord as well as the property, details about the results of each of the appliances, and any work that must be carried out after the checks.
Local authorities, the council, housing associations, and private sector landlords can rely on qualified engineers to ensure their portfolio of homes meets the standard and keep tenants out of danger.
The document that states the condition of each gas appliance is the Gas Safety Certificate. Therefore, these must be kept safe and referred to in order to understand the status of the home.
Here at PropCert, we are a nationwide provider of property services including Energy Performance Certificates, Electrical Installation Condition Reports, Asbestos Surveys, Fire Risk Assessments, and more.