Rented Accommodation

Landlords must by law maintain their gas appliances and their flues in a safe condition [Reg. 36 The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regs. 1998] and have their gas appliances checked every year by a registered installer*, (at the moment this means the business is registered NOT the individual fitter so ask about training. The individual engineer is listed by the business and the business sends these names to the Gas Safe Register). The individual must have a certificate of competence and must be trained to work on that particular class of appliances (fires, boilers etc.). You can check the ID number and the name of the individual with the Gas Safe Register and we suggest you do this before you allow the engineer to start the job.

Landlords must also now have gas flues and chimneys checked. The duty is now on landlords to ensure that tenants and prospective tenants are given a copy of the record of these checks on gas appliances and their flues, (Gas Regs. 1996 NO. 2541, in force 31.10.96 - now see Gas Regs. 1998 No. 2451 Reg. 36*). You should not have to ask. The landlord is under a legal obligation to give you a copy of the safety check. If he doesn’t please ask and show him this.

The lack of adequate expertise of the individual gas fitters is alarming. A Birmingham survey, undertaken by CORGI itself found that one third of 143 appliances, given safety certificates by CORGI gas installers and then checked later by CORGI were found to have defects. The public must be informed of four preventative measure not one.