Gas Safety

The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1994 covers all gas appliances and gas pipe work installed in let property.  The regulations state that the landlord must ensure every gas appliance in their property is correctlt checked at least once in every 12 months and that a relevant certificate of safety is provided to the tenant at the point of occupation. An appliance must be shut down if at any time a landlord becomes aware or suspects that an appliance may not be in perfect safe working order.

Until 1 April 2009 all such work had to be carried out by a CORGI registered engineer, but they are no longer responsible for administering gas safety requirements in the UK.  There has been little publicity by the Government regarding this fact, indeed many Agents remain unaware of the new rules, but these important changes in the Gas Safety Legislation mean that from that date the Gas Safe Register took over and any engineer who has undertaken work in Great Britain will need to have been registered.

The Health and Safety Executive reviewed the situation under CORGI and decided that there was a strong case for modernising the gas registration scheme to provide a clearer focus on gas safety. Gas certification undertaken up to that date by a CORGI registered engineer will remain valid however any future inspections must be carried out by someone registered with Gas Safe and the credentials of engineers verified.

A Letting Agent acting for a landlord may also be guilty of a criminal offence if this legislation is not adhered to.  We will therefore guide the landlord through the requirements and will ensure that an appropriate certificate is issued in time to protect our landlords from possible prosecution.

For further information or additional clarification, please contact Simply Lets.