information for landlords

• Landlords have specific legal responsibilities to their tenants when it comes to gas safety
• Understanding the law for rental accommodation
• If you are a landlord letting a property equipped with gas appliances you need to understand and comply with the law relating to gas safety.
• If you let a property, you must make sure that pipe work, appliances and flues provided for tenants are maintained in a safe condition. You need to have a gas safety checkevery year. A Gas Safe registered engineermust carry out the safety check in your properties in Great Britain and the Isle of Man. You must give your tenants a copy of the gas safety certificatewithin 28 days of it being carried out or before they move in.
• You are also obliged to show your tenants how they can turn off the gas supply in the event of a gas leak.
• Annual checks
• As a landlord, you are legally responsible for making sure that a Gas Safe registered engineerchecks the gas appliances in your rental properties every 12 months and gives you copies of the gas safety certificates.
• Gas safety certificates
• When your Gas Safe registered engineer has checked the gas appliances in your rental property they will give you a gas safety certificate. This certificate confirms the gas appliances have been checked and are safe.
• You must give your tenant a copy of these gas safety certificates within 28 days of the checks being done, or give a copy of the gas safety certificate to a new tenant before they move in.
• Remember, you must keep a record of each safety check for two years.

NICC CERT

Whilst there is clearly a similar statutory requirement for landlords to maintain electrical systems under their control in a safe condition, the legislation is less explicit and there is no electrical equivalent of CORGI, (although there are several trade associations). This document outlines 3-Step Safety Check's interpretation of the relevant legislation and authoritative guidance notes.