Landlords are responsible for the safety of their tenants and must adhere to Landlord Safety Checks. Landlords’ duties apply to a wide range of accommodation, occupied under a lease or licence, which includes, but not exclusively:
Residential premises provided for rent by local authorities, housing associations, private sector landlords, housing co-operatives, and hostels. Rooms to let in bed-sit accommodation, private households, bed and breakfast accommodation and hotels. Rented holiday accommodation such as chalets, cottages, flats, caravans and narrow boats and inland waterways. The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 deal with landlord’s duties to make sure gas appliances, fittings and flues provided for tenants are safe.
Letting a property equipped with gas appliances landlords have three main responsibilities:
Maintenance – pipework, appliances and flues must be maintained in a safe condition. Gas appliances should be serviced in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. If these are not available it is recommended that they are serviced annually unless advised otherwise by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
Gas Safety checks: a 12 monthly gas safety check (CP12 Gas Certificate) must be carried out on every gas appliance/flue. A gas safety check will make sure gas fittings and appliances are safe to use. Gas appliances will be checked for gas tightness, if test points are available, standing and working pressure will be tested. The gas safe engineer will check burner pressure and gas rate against the manufacturers’ data plate, checks will be carried out for the provision of all necessary ventilation.
Flue flow will be tested to make sure products of the combustion process are removed. All flame failure devices will be checked for their satisfactory operation. Where appropriate checks will be made for physical stability, presence and effectiveness of stability brackets. Investigations for any evidence of unsafe operation will be made and reported.
Record: a record of the annual gas safety check must be provided to your tenant within 28 days of the check being completed or to new tenants before they move into the premises. Landlords are required to keep copies of the gas safety record for a period of two years.
Contact NPS for Landlord Safety Checks
If you require a company to provide your Landlord Safety Checks, please contact our experienced team on 01924 433066.