Landlord gas safety: What is the law?

If your rental property has a gas boiler, gas fire or gas cooker by UK law you are accountable for the following three tasks:

1 ) Maintenance – Gas boilers, gas fires, gas cookers and gas hobs, including flues and chimneys, have to be kept in a safe condition. Gas boilers and fires should be serviced in line with the manufacturer’s manual which is usually every 12 months.

2 ) Gas safety checks – Gas appliances and flues have to be safety checked annually by a Gas Safe registered engineer. You can arrange the check from 10-12 months after the last check was carried out. If you arrange a gas safety check after 10 months the original expiry date still applies so your next safety check will be due in 14 months instead of 12.

3 ) Record – A record of your annual gas safety check must be provided to your tenants within 28 days of completion. A copy must also be given to new tenants at the beginning of a new tenancy and you must keep gas safety records for two years.

IMPORTANT: Show your tenants how to turn the gas off and tell them to call the National Gas Helpline on 0800 111 999 if they smell gas. Crucially, only ever let a Gas Safe registered engineer carry out gas work in your rental property.

Contact our gas experts on 0191 289 3464 or message us today.