Gas safety in rental properties is essential – but do you know your legal responsibilities as a landlord? What do you need to know as a tenant?
We’re pleased to support Gas Safety Week, the annual safety week to raise awareness of gas safety and the importance of taking care of your gas appliances. The campaign is coordinated by Gas Safe Register, the official list of gas engineers who are legally allowed to work on gas.
Here, we look at landlords’ legal responsibilities, how tenants can stay gas safe, and how a letting agent can help.
Why is gas safety in rental properties so important?
We all know that gas safety is important – but it’s all too easy to think that the consequences would never happen to us.
So, it’s important to remember the very real dangers of badly fitted or poorly serviced gas appliances. These can cause gas leaks, fires, or even explosions, as well as carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning.
Landlords – your gas safety responsibilities
Landlords are legally responsible for the safety of their tenants. If you are a landlord, you must make sure maintenance and annual safety checks on gas appliances are carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
Landlords are legally obliged to make sure:
- 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.
- A Gas Safety Record is provided to tenants.
- You keep a copy of the Gas Safety Record until two further checks have taken place.
- Maintenance and annual safety checks are carried out by a qualified Gas Safe registered engineer.
- All gas equipment (including any appliance left by a previous tenant) is safe or otherwise removed before re-letting.
Before any gas work is carried out always check the engineer is qualified to carry out the work that needs doing. You can find this information on the Gas Safe Register website or onthe back of the engineer’s Gas Safe ID card.
You should also make sure your tenants are aware of any warning signs that their gas appliance is working incorrectly (see below).
Tenants – how to stay gas safe in rental properties
By taking care of your gas appliances properly you are taking care of your home, your loved ones and even looking out for your local community. Follow these few simple checks to keep you and others safe:
- Check your Landlord’s Gas Safety Record. By law, your landlord must keep gas pipework, appliances and flues supplied for you to use in good condition. They must arrange a gas safety check of the appliances and flues every year.
- Look out for any warning signs from your gas appliances. If you’ve spotted any dark staining or sooty marks around your appliance, excessive condensation indoors or pilot lights that frequently go out, your appliance may be unsafe. Contact your landlord, or, if you own the appliance, a Gas Safe registered engineer.
- Know the six main symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning – headaches, dizziness, breathlessness, nausea, collapse, and loss of consciousness.
- Install an audible carbon monoxide alarm and look out for your community by making sure your friends, relatives and neighbours have one too.
- Get your own gas appliances safety checked annually. Your landlordis not responsible for gas appliances that you own.
- Check your engineer is qualified for the type of gas work you need doing e.g., natural gas, domestic boiler. You can find this information on the back of their Gas Safe ID card and the Gas Safe Register website.
Gas safety advice and the Gas Safe Register
The Gas Safe Register website has more helpful advice for gas safety in rental properties. You can also check the official list of registered engineers or search for a registered engineer near you. Remember, only gas engineers on this list are legally allowed to work on gas.
How a letting agent can help
An accredited lettings agent will follow current best practice to ensure gas safety in rental properties and landlords’ compliance with all current legislation.
Most agents will offer a range of services and be able to tailor their offer to suit your needs. With their industry experience, and network of trusted tradesmen, they can take over the time-consuming arrangements. This ensures peace of mind for tenants and provides assurance for landlords that all legal requirements are adhered to.
Our At Home In Edinburgh team are experts in private rentals, with over 25 years’ experience working with tenants and landlords. As an approved agent on the Scottish Letting Agent Register, we are committed to complying with a statutory Letting Agent Code of Practice and our staff must hold the relevant qualifications and follow current best practice.
Please speak to us if you have any concerns or queries regarding your properties – email us at [email protected], call us on 0131 229 4001, or pop in to see us at 39 Warrender Park Road, Marchmont, Edinburgh, EH9 1EU. We also have a simple online guide for any landlords considering transferring to a lettings agent.