GAS SAFETY CERTIFICATES
Required by Law
A gas safety certificate is a record required by law to be held for all rental accommodation in the UK where gas appliances are present. The requirement is enshrined in the Gas Safety Regulations 1998. All gas appliances in a rented property need to be checked once a year and a gas safety record must be completed with a copy provided to the tenants.
Gas Safety Registered
These records must be completed by engineers who are registered with the Gas Safety scheme, which standardises gas safety amongst appliances. Different engineers might have different qualifications, which landlords may find on the back of their Gas Safety scheme registration card.
Maintain Regulations
Gas safety certificates are needed to show that each landlord maintains gas safety regulations as outlined by the HSE. One regulation is that any room transformed into a bedroom after October 1998 should not contain a gas water heater, gas space heater, or a gas fire, unless it is sealed or has an atmosphere-sensing device.
Even if an occupant brings in a gas fire, the landlord is responsible for making sure that the associated pipe work is safe to use gas. Outdoor appliances should be checked by a Gas Safety scheme engineer before they are used in a rented property.