We are proud to be supporting Gas Safety Week 2021, taking place 13th – 19th September 2021.

As we celebrate the 11th year of Gas Safety Week, organisations from across the UK are working together to raise awareness of the dangers of poorly maintained gas appliances, which can cause gas leaks, fires, explosions and carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning.

This year, Gas Safety Week is addressing a whole range of gas safety matters for gas users across the country – from advice about how to stay gas safe, to raising awareness of using a registered engineer who is legally qualified, to ensure consumers don’t suffer from the effects of illegal gas work through lack of awareness.

Badly fitted and poorly serviced gas appliances can cause gas leaks, fires, explosions and carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. CO is a highly poisonous gas that can kill quickly with no warning, as you cannot see it, taste it or smell it.

Landlord’s Responsibilities for Gas Safety

Landlords are legally responsible for the safety of their tenants. Landlords must make sure maintenance and annual safety checks on gas appliances are carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer to ensure their tenants and wider communities stay safe.

Even under the most strict pandemic lockdown restrictions last year, landlords were still required to meet all legal requirements under Gas Safety Legislation, and to make every effort to renew certificates in a timely manner.

If you’re a landlord, you 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. On top of safety concerns, tenants can report landlords to the HSE if you don’t provide one, so it’s important to remember! You can set a free email and/or text reminder so you don’t forget, visit StayGasSafe.co.uk.
• A Gas Safety Record is provided to the tenant within 28 days of completing the check or to any new tenant before they move in.
• 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, e.g. natural gas, domestic boiler. You can find this information on the Gas Safe Register website or by checking the back of the engineer’s Gas Safe ID card. Encourage your tenants to also check the card when the engineer arrives at the property.

You also need to ensure that your Landlord Gas Safety Check is valid. If you’re a self-managing landlord and aren’t sure how to do this, click here to read our article.

Gas Safety & COVID-19

At the beginning of the pandemic, we changed our process for ordering gas safety checks to give us more time to get them booked in and completed should a tenant or engineer test positive and/or be required to isolate. As COVID-19 is still a threat, we are continuing to order gas safety checks 6-8 weeks in advance of their certificate expiry dates.

If you are a landlord on a managed service, it’s likely that your letting agent handles maintenance, especially where it concerns gas safety, for you. If you’re not sure what their process is for ordering annual checks, checking certificates are valid, or keeping records, we’d recommend speaking to them to find out.

If you are a self-managing landlord, you really need to consider the processes you have in place and how you keep notes and maintenance records.

Source: Gas Safe Register

Related: Quick Pre-Let Checklist for Landlords / Preparing Your Property for Autumn and Winter