What is a Landlords Gas Safety Certificate?
All private landlords are legally required to have a valid Gas Safety Certificate (Also known as a CP12 ) for all the gas equipment in the properties they rent out. Gas safety certificates can only be issued by gas engineers that are registered with Gas Safe Register. The certificates are valid for a year then a new Gas Safety Certificate will need to be issured. In order to give a gas safety certificate the engineer has to check the gas supply, all gas appliances, gas flues and ventilation.
Landlords must keep copies of the Certificate and should have records of all remedial work carried out to the property regarding the gas supply and appliances.
If the gas engineer notices any problems then the landlord must have them repaired by a Gas engineer.
Landlords must keep copies of the inspection report and certificate and should keep records of any work that is carried out. If the gas engineer notices any problems the landlord has to fix them. If a landlord fails to do this or fails to provide a gas safety certificate it is a criminal offence. The Health and Safety Executive can prosecute.
What happened to CORGI?
From April 1st 2009 Corgi will no longer be the registration body
for gas engineers' in the United Kingdom. All legally licensed Gas engineers need to now be registered with Gas Safe Register. Click Here to find out more. Paynes Heating is registered with Gas Safe Register.
Apart from the legal requirements, what could happen if a property did not have A Gas Safety Test?
Without a Landlords Gas Safety inspection the tenants are put at risk of fire, explosion or Carbon Monoxide poisoning, naturally landlords who subject their tenants to these risks are dealt with very harshly.
Carbon Monoxide is an invisible, odourless gas. It is extremley poisonous and kills very quickly. If someone is suffering from Carbon Monoxide poisoning they may have symptoms such as headaches, faintness, nausea, abdominal pains, faintness, diarrhoea or chest pains.
If there are any problems with the gas equipment, the landlord has to get a CORGI registered gas engineer to carry out the works required. The gas engineer has the power to seal off any faulty equipment or request the gas company to cut off the supply to the property.
Useful Links Regarding Landlord Gas Safetys;
