Building & Home Articles Building & Construction Articles Statutory Requirements for Landlords - Check Safety of Gas Boiler
| Statutory Requirements for Landlords - Check Safety of Gas Boiler |
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The UK law is very detailed and prescriptive when it comes to the requirements of safety checks of rental accommodations. Annual gas safety inspection must be undertaken by a certified Corgi gas engineer to ensure the legal requirements are met. The law allows for a fine of up to 5,000 and an imprisonment of up to six months if the landlords failed to meet this requirement.
The UK law is very detailed and prescriptive when it comes to the requirements of safety checks of rental accommodations. Annual gas safety inspection must be undertaken by a certified Corgi gas engineer to ensure the legal requirements are met. The law allows for a fine of up to 5,000 and an imprisonment of up to six months if the landlords failed to meet this requirement. By law the landlord is required to make sure the following requirements are adhered to: * Open flue gas appliances should not be located in the same room where people are sleeping, or a 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 to any gas appliance in the property is then approved through a series of safety tests by a CORGI certified engineer. *The tenants must have unrestricted access to all appropriate documentation for all gas appliances (such as manuals, safety notices, instructions and labels). *A clear set of records is kept detailing the dates of safety inspections and any defects identified and respective work undertaken. The tenants must have access to a copy of these records within 28 days of the safety inspection or prior to new occupants moving into the property. Landlords should consider installing protection against carbon monoxide poisoning in the rented property. Carbon monoxide poisoning causes between 20 to 30 deaths every year in the UK. Carbon monoxide is a result of an incomplete burning reaction, which creates a combination of carbon with a single oxygen molecule. The gas has no smell, colour or taste and is extremely poisonous, causing asphyxiation and sometimes death. Carbon monoxide can occur when the boiler installation is done poorly, when the flue is poorly designed or installed or is simply blocked. The law is very strict with landlords, forcing them to ensure all domestic boilers are checked and serviced every year. Such statutory requirement causes major headaches for large landlords and housing associations. These groups struggle with the administrative and logistical effort of providing access to the Corgi certified engineer to the property. Evidence shows that it is difficult for the Corgi engineer to gain access to the property in cases of large blocks of flats. During business hours, most flat are empty while their occupants are at work. It proved to be difficult to get people to stay at home to wait for the plumber to come and conduct the safety check. Tenants are reluctant to lose a day's pay in order to stay at home for the landlord to comply with the Regulation. In extreme cases, a landlord has to resort to issuing an entry warrant into the property if the tenant fails to cooperate. Such cases are very regrettable as they are complicated and costly, due to the need for police to attend and additional making good costs (which can get to 500 per property). About the Author: |
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