Every year about 14 people die from carbon monoxide poisoning caused by gas appliances and flues which have not been properly installed or maintained. Many others also suffer ill health.

The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 specifically deal with the installation, maintenance and use of gas appliances, fittings and flues in domestic and certain commercial premises. They place duties on certain landlords* to ensure that gas appliances, fittings and flues provided for tenants’ use are safe.

What are your main duties as a Landlord?

You are required to:

• Ensure gas fittings and flues are maintained in a safe condition
• Gas appliances should be serviced in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. If these are not available it is recommended that they are serviced annually unless advised otherwise by a Gas Safe registered engineer
• Ensure an annual safety check is carried out on each gas appliance/flue. Before any new lease starts, you must make sure that these checks have been carried out within one year before the start of the lease date, unless the appliances in the property have been installed for less than 12 months, in which case they should be checked within 12 months of their installation date
• Have all installation, maintenance and safety checks carried out by a Gas Safety registered engineer

What happens if I use a Managing Agent?

The landlord retains overall responsibility for ensuring compliance with requirements. The management contract should clearly identify who is to make arrangements for maintenance and safety checks to be carried out and to keep records.

What we will do for you?

We will arrange for one of our qualified Gas Safety Engineers to call at your property, at a time convenient to you, to carry out a full Gas Safety Check on your gas appliances, fittings and flues. Our Engineer will complete a safety check form during the inspection and leave a signed copy with you for your records. We will also keep a copy on their files for reference. If the property fails the inspection we will advise you of the best course of action to rectifiy any problems, in order that your property can be marketed as swiftly as possible.