The UK legal regulations are very detailed when discussing the standard for landlords of rental properties in relation to gas safety. The property has to be inspected for gas safety levels by a Corgi approved engineer. If the landlord does not meet this requirement he or she are liable to a fine of up to 5,000 and up to six months imprisonment.
According to the law, landlords are required to ensure the following:
* Gas appliances with open flue must not be located in a room where occupants sleep (or in the bathroom).
* Any work such as repair, service on installation to gas appliances must be carried out by a Corgi certified engineer.
* Both mobile and fixed gas appliances in the property must be kept at a safe working condition and inspected on an annual basis by a Corgi registered engineer.
* Any work done on gas appliances within the premises should be approved according to a list of safety tests undertaken by a Corgi approved engineer.
*The tenants must have unrestricted access to all appropriate documentation for all gas appliances (such as manuals, safety notices, instructions and labels).
* The dates of safety inspections must be kept in a clear set of records (which should also include any defects identified and respective work done). Access should be given to the tenants to such records within 28 days of the safety inspection or prior to new tenants moving into the property.
Carbon monoxide poisoning is responsible for around 20 - 30 deaths in the UK every year. It is highly recommended that landlords install carbon monoxide detectors to protect the tenants. Carbon monoxide is a colourless, odourless gas that is the result of incomplete burning within the boiler, and is normally a result of poor boiler installation. The gas, which is a combination of a single molecule of carbon with a single molecule of oxygen, is very dangerous as it causes serious breathing difficulties, potentially leading to lethal consequences.
Landlords have no choice but to ensure that all domestic boilers on the premise are checked and services annually. Large landlords, Local Authorities and Housing Associations find this statutory obligation to cause major concern due to the administrative complexity and logistics difficulty of the gas engineer gaining access to the boiler.
Analysing this industry shows that it can prove very difficult for a landlord of a large block of flats to arrange access to each property for the gas engineer. During normal hours, most flats are empty (while the tenants are at work), with very few tenants willing to stay at home and wait for the gas engineer to call in. As tenants are reluctant to take a paid leave to stay at home for such gas safety check, it is difficult for landlords to meet their legal requirements.
In certain cases, landlords have to arrange for an entry warrant if the tenant fails to cooperate and allow access for the gas engineer. In addition to the administrative complexity, this adds substantial costs to the cost of the gas safety check (up to 500 for police attendance and potential repair).
According to the law, landlords are required to ensure the following:
* Gas appliances with open flue must not be located in a room where occupants sleep (or in the bathroom).
* Any work such as repair, service on installation to gas appliances must be carried out by a Corgi certified engineer.
* Both mobile and fixed gas appliances in the property must be kept at a safe working condition and inspected on an annual basis by a Corgi registered engineer.
* Any work done on gas appliances within the premises should be approved according to a list of safety tests undertaken by a Corgi approved engineer.
*The tenants must have unrestricted access to all appropriate documentation for all gas appliances (such as manuals, safety notices, instructions and labels).
* The dates of safety inspections must be kept in a clear set of records (which should also include any defects identified and respective work done). Access should be given to the tenants to such records within 28 days of the safety inspection or prior to new tenants moving into the property.
Carbon monoxide poisoning is responsible for around 20 - 30 deaths in the UK every year. It is highly recommended that landlords install carbon monoxide detectors to protect the tenants. Carbon monoxide is a colourless, odourless gas that is the result of incomplete burning within the boiler, and is normally a result of poor boiler installation. The gas, which is a combination of a single molecule of carbon with a single molecule of oxygen, is very dangerous as it causes serious breathing difficulties, potentially leading to lethal consequences.
Landlords have no choice but to ensure that all domestic boilers on the premise are checked and services annually. Large landlords, Local Authorities and Housing Associations find this statutory obligation to cause major concern due to the administrative complexity and logistics difficulty of the gas engineer gaining access to the boiler.
Analysing this industry shows that it can prove very difficult for a landlord of a large block of flats to arrange access to each property for the gas engineer. During normal hours, most flats are empty (while the tenants are at work), with very few tenants willing to stay at home and wait for the gas engineer to call in. As tenants are reluctant to take a paid leave to stay at home for such gas safety check, it is difficult for landlords to meet their legal requirements.
In certain cases, landlords have to arrange for an entry warrant if the tenant fails to cooperate and allow access for the gas engineer. In addition to the administrative complexity, this adds substantial costs to the cost of the gas safety check (up to 500 for police attendance and potential repair).
About the Author:
Tal Potishman, editor of Heating Central, writes articles about efficient heating, boilers, West Hampstead plumbers, underfloor heating and solar thermal. He specializes in helping save money by advising on efficient heating.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment