Gas safety should always be on the minds of landlords, but, this week in particular, we’re fighting for a gas safe nation as part of Gas Safety Week 2018 – 17th-23rd September.
We’re Fighting for a Gas Safe Nation this Week
Gas Safety Week is an annual chance to raise awareness of gas safety and the importance of taking care of your gas appliances. It is coordinated by Gas Safe Register, which we worked with to compile our comprehensive guide to gas safety for landlords.
Badly fitted and poorly serviced gas appliances can cause gas leaks, fires, explosions and carbon monoxide poisoning in your properties. Every year, thousands of people across the UK are diagnosed with carbon monoxide poisoning. It is a highly poisonous gas that can kill quickly with no warning, as you cannot see it, taste it or smell it.
As a landlord, you are legally responsible for the safety of your tenants. Therefore, you must make sure that a Gas Safe registered engineer conducts maintenance and annual safety checks on your gas appliances.
Landlords are legally obliged to ensure:
- Gas pipework, appliances and flues provided for tenants are maintained in a safe condition.
- All gas appliances and flues provided for tenants’ use have an annual safety check. You can set a reminder so that you don’t forget at staygassafe.co.uk.
- A qualified Gas Safe registered engineer carries out maintenance and annual safety checks.
- All gas equipment (including any appliance left by a previous tenant) is safe or otherwise removed before re-letting the property.
- A Gas Safety Record is provided to the tenant within 28 days of completing the check, or to any new tenant before they move into the property.
- You keep a copy of the Gas Safety Record for two years.
Before any gas work is undertaken, always check that the engineer is qualified to carry out the work that needs doing, for example, natural gas, domestic boiler, etc.
You can find this information on the Gas Safe Register website, or by checking the back of the engineer’s Gas Safe ID card. You should also encourage your tenants to check the card when the engineer arrives at the property.
We hope that you put gas safety to the front of your mind this week, to join us in the fight for a gas safe nation!