Guide to Getting a Gas Safety Certificate in London

Under the law, as per the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, landlord gas safety checks are required to ensure that all gas fittings, appliances, and flues in their property are safe for tenants to use. The check has to be done by a well qualified and registered engineer. After the test is completed, the engineer will enter the details of the inspection on a landlord Gas Safety Record Form which is more commonly known as a Gas Safety Certificate.

Gas certificate in London was made compulsory due to frequent gas explosions occurring in the UK. It became necessary to prevent accidents to human life and also damage to property. Landlord gas safety checks have to be conducted even if the tenants renting the property do not use gas. If the rented property has a live gas connection, it needs to be checked as per the law. Gas checks need to be done annually, and if you have just conducted a check, then the next inspection has to be done by 10 to 12 months after this check.

How to get a Gas Certificate in London?

To get a Gas Safety Certificate or a Gas Safety Record Form, you first need to fix an appointment a Gas Safe registered engineer who is authorized and qualified to conduct a safety check. The engineer will come to your property and inspect all the gas appliances installed along with the pipework. He will check whether the devices are in proper condition and see whether there are any leaks in the pipes.

The landlord will be given a copy of the Gas Safety Record Form by the engineer bearing the test results of the gas appliances and pipes. The landlord should also provide a copy to the tenants. If the tenants are new, they should get their copy before shifting, and if they have already moved in, then they must receive their copy within 28 days of the test.

The Gas Safety Certificate should contain the following details:

1. The name of the engineer, along with his registration number and signature
2. Locations and details of all the appliances and flues checked by the engineer
3. The date of the check
4. The address of the property where the test was conducted
5. The name and address of the landlord or agent
6. Any defect found during checking and any action that is required or done to rectify it
7. A confirmation for the results of the tests undertaken

Who can conduct the landlord gas safety checks?

The Safety check has to be done by a Gas Safe registered engineer. All gas businesses legally authorized to carry safety checks are listed in the Gas Safe register. All firms on this list appoint gas engineers with a Gas Safe ID card. The gas engineer who checks your appliances should possess this ID Card.

Gas Safety Certificate Cost: There are no fixed rates for Gas Safety Certificate in London. The price depends on the number of appliances needed to be checked and also on the gas engineer selected by you. It would be better to compare the costs provided by different engineers. The Gas Safety Register does not control the costs of checking. The cost of the certificate may be anywhere from £35 to £150.

Checklist for landlords to get Gas Certificate in London:

1. Get a registered gas engineer who is listed in the Gas Safe Register.
2. Fix a date for the check that is convenient for the tenant staying at the property.
3. Arrange for the safety check from the 10th to 12th month after your previous one.
4. Ensure that all repairs necessary after the checks are carried out.
5. Hand over a copy of the Gas certificate to the tenants while retaining a copy for yourself.
6. Remind yourself to conduct the next checking in 10 to 12 months.

Getting a Gas Safety Certificate in London is essential as all accidents happen mainly because of faults in the appliances that can be easily rectified. Landlord gas safety checks ensure that all defective devices and leaky pipes are repaired. In this way, accidents can be prevented, and the safety of both the landlord and the tenant is ensured. The financial losses arising on account of the destruction of property or physical harm to people is also avoided.

The certificate will also ensure that nobody will blame the landlord for any accidents that may happen. So it is in the best interests of landlords to check all their gas appliances annually and obtain a Gas Safety Certificate in London.