The Eco-Friendly Landlord’s Guide to Gas Safety Certificates

A growing number of people are interested in living in eco-friendly buildings. The market for eco-friendly residential buildings was worth over $116 billion last year.

A lot of people want to build their own green homes. However, that might not be an option for everyone. If someone wants to live in an environmentally friendly building, then their only option might be to rent.

This creates a great opportunity for eco-friendly landlords. Unfortunately, there are a lot of challenges that you are going to face as someone that owns an eco-friendly building.

Becoming an eco-friendly landlord of a property can be a great, reliable investment but it also comes with a number of legal responsibilities to your tenants and local authority. In this series of articles, we will go through the key responsibilities, what each of them involve, how frequently they are required and a guide to what you should expect to pay.

The first item on the checklist to discuss is the Gas Safety Certificate. You may be running an eco-friendly building, but your tenants will still use gas for heating. You need to make sure you have the right certificate.

I’ve heard the term before, but what actually is it?

The Gas Safety Certificate, also known as just the Gas Safety or CP12, is the routine health and safety inspection of the fuel burning appliances within a property. The inspection is designed to assess whether the appliances are consuming fuel according to the manufacturer’s guidelines and are safe for the occupants to use. Whether you are building a green home or buying an existing one, you need to make sure that you get this certificate.

You are required by law to provide a copy of the certificate to each of the tenants before they move into the property. Landlords who choose to let their property through an estate agent should provide their agent with the certificate. For those who let privately, issuing the certificate is the responsibility of the landlord.

Whilst you are legally obliged to commission a Gas Certificate for your eco-friendly rental properties, it is worth noting that there is no legal responsibility to have one for your own home (although we would recommend that you do for both peace of mind and your own health and safety).

Should you decide to sell your property, you are currently not required to undertake the inspection (however, it is quite common to have this requested during the legal process).

How long is it valid for?

The Gas Safety Certificate is valid for one year only so make sure you set yourself a reminder! As previously mentioned, a copy must be issued to your tenants/agents before new tenants can move in. If your current certificate expires whilst you have tenants in place, you have a 28-day period in order to issue the new certificate. It is recommended that you keep all of your previous certificates however, the previous two years is the minimum requirement.

Who can carry out the testing?

All gas safety inspections must be carried out by an engineer who is actively registered with the Gas Safe Register. The Gas Safe Register is the only regulatory body for gas safety certificate inspections having replaced CORGI.

You should always check the heating engineer’s Gas Safe ID card to check they are qualified to carry out the testing before you allow them to start work.

Many plumbers are registered with the Gas Safe Register but this is not always the case and it is your responsibility to carry out the relevant ID checks.

How long does the test take?

Typically, the inspection will take around 30-45 minutes. This can vary depending on the number of appliances to be inspected and whether or not the engineer uncovers any issues during the testing.

What needs to be tested?

The Gas Safety Certificate testing consists of a thorough inspection of all fuel burning appliances, any chimneys and flues, as well as the connection, infrastructure and ventilation of the system. Typical examples of appliances are gas fired boilers, gas hobs/cookers and gas fireplaces.

It should be noted that every appliance that is connected to a fuel source has to be tested, regardless of whether or not you use the appliance.

Can my property fail the inspection?

Yes. A faulty or malfunctioning gas supply can result in carbon monoxide poisoning, gas leaks or even explosions. As a result, just simply having the testing done is not enough, the engineer must issue a valid pass certificate before any tenants can occupy the property. These potential safety issues are another reason why you should also have a gas safety certificate inspection carried out in your own home in addition to any rental properties.

What are the consequences for not having the certificate?

Given the potential safety issues previously discussed, breaches of regulations are taken seriously. Landlords who fail to produce a certificate upon request can face either a substantial fine of up to 6,000, imprisonment or both. Your insurance cover could be invalidated due to non-compliance and in the event of loss of life, guilty parties could be charged with manslaughter.

Where is the best place to book my gas inspection?

If you are in need of a Gas Safety Certificate then just get in touch with the team at MyConstructor. They have a nationwide network of fully qualified and experienced gas safe engineers. See customer reviews, check live availability and get fixed price quotes before you book – you can even book online 24/7 – click here now to find the best prices in your local area.

Having a Gas Safety Certificate is Important for Eco-Friendly Landlords

Eco-friendly landlords need to make sure that they are on the right side of the law. This means that it is important to have all of the right certificates. Even though you have an environmentally friendly building, your tenants will still need to use some heat. You need a gas safety certificate if they plan to use gas heating systems.