Gas Safety Certificates: Some Things You Should Know

Landlords, based on existing laws of the land, and as a way of protecting the welfare of the tenants, are required to abide with existing laws concerning the operations of their properties that are available for rent or lease. Among others, landlords will be greatly responsible for the safety of their tenants. Therefore, it is paramount to make sure that their property is safe, especially gas appliances. The latter is basically the reason why gas safety certificates are essential. Whether the property is going to be rented for a week or a year, all landlords must be able to have gas certificate, which will prove that their property has been inspected and certified to be safe from any hazards associated with gas appliances.

What It Is?

Simply put, a gas safety certificate will be issued after an evaluation of your property, specifically the appliances that use gas as a source of power. It will contain information about the location of the appliance that has been checked, the date it has been conducted, information about the professional who completed the check, landlord’s name and address,  and any problems that have been raised. It can be stored in an electronic format for ease of distribution to your tenants. A gas safety certificate should be obtained every year, and the record should be kept for a period of at least two years.

Who Conducts The Check?

Gas safety certificates can be issued only by authorised individuals, specifically, a Gas Safe-registered engineer. It should be noted that these are not just ordinary engineers. They are people who have been screened and have undergone rigorous tests to prove that they are qualified and competent to handle gas checks. Always check for their ID and license number to be sure that they are indeed qualified to issue gas safety certificates. All our engineers are Gas Safe Registered and all their details are available on our website on the gas engineer web page.

What Happens During the Check?

Before gas safety certificates can be issued, there are generally four things that will be done. They will make sure that all gas appliances are operated at the right setting, harmful gases are removed, ventilation routes are cleared, and all of your safety devices are properly functioning. If there is any problem spotted, necessary actions must be undertaken before you will finally be able to have gas certificate.

Who Needs Them?

Generally speaking, all landlords will need to have updated copies of gas safety certificates. Nonetheless, as defined by law, it is important to keep in mind that landlord is a general term that could refer to a diverse group of people who are having their properties for rent. Aside from housing, they can also include owners of hostels, hotels, bed and breakfast accommodations, cottages, and caravans for rent. As long as you have a property that is available for rent, you are considered a landlord and you are bound by law to have gas safety certificate or record.

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