Gas Safety

Certificate

The Law

By law, under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, it's your responsibility to get a Gas Safety Certificate every twelve months. You must get this from a Gas Safe Registered engineer for all pipe work, gas appliances and flues installed at your property. You must also keep copies of all the paperwork. You'll need to keep a record of the safety inspection for two years, and give a copy to all of your tenants within 28 days of the inspection. If your tenants change, they'll need a copy of the Gas Safety Certificate before they move in. If your contract says the agent is responsible, then the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 are passed on to them. Recommended Legally you only have to carry out a gas safety inspection every twelve months, but it’s a good idea to get appliances checked between tenants too. Then you’ll be sure your appliances are in tip-top condition before your new tenants move in. Installing a Carbon Monoxide (CO) alarm comes highly recommended. It’s the best way to make sure your tenants are safe from dangers of Carbon Monoxide poisoning. But an alarm should never replace regular maintenance and safety checks. What you’ll get with a Gas Safety Certificate: • Your gas appliances will be checked for gas tightness. • If test points are available, standing and working pressure will be tested. • Your Gas Safe engineer will check burner pressure and gas r ate against the manufacturers data plate. • Checks will be carried out for the provision of all necessary ventilation. • Flue flow will be tested to make sure products of combustion are removed. • All flame failure devices will be checked for satisfactory operation. • Where appropriate checks will be made for physical stability, presence and effectiveness of stability brackets. • Investigations for any evidence of unsafe operation will be made and reported. Without completing all of the above checks an appliance can not be issued a Gas Safety Certificate. Remember with a Gas Safety Certificate your gas boiler has not been cleaned or serviced as normally recommended by the manufacturer.