As the summer starts to move towards autumn, student landlords all over the country will be making their annual checks to ensure their properties are up to scratch for the new academic year. Safety is the primary consideration when making these checks which include ensuring electrical and gas appliances meet legal requirements.
Like electrical appliances, when gas appliances are poorly fitted or not properly maintained, they can be deadly. Incidents which can occur include dangerous gas leaks, explosions, house fires and carbon monoxide poisoning.
All landlords, therefore, have a legal and moral responsibility to play their part in ensuring the safety of their tenants while in their property.
With regard to landlord gas safety, in particular, by law you must:
- Repair and maintain gas pipework, flues and appliances, keeping them in a safe condition
- Ensure a Gas Safety Check is carried out once a year by a Gas Safe registered engineer on each appliance and flue
- Keep a record of each Landlord Gas Safety Check (normally a CP12 Landlord Gas Safety Certificate) and make this available to your tenants
These steps are vital, not only to ensure tenant safety, but also to comply with UK law. And it’s not only student housing landlords who are obliged to follow these rules. Gas safety checks are needed by:
- Landlords
- Housing associations
- Local authorities
- Hotels and B&Bs
- Colleges
- Boarding schools
- Hostels
By ensuring the person carrying out the work on your boiler is on the Gas Safe Register, you’ll benefit from the knowledge that they are on a list of businesses permitted to work on gas appliances and installations.
The engineer is issued with a Gas Safe ID card and you must check this before they carry out work in your house.
Saving money in the process
A well-maintained, regularly serviced plumbing and heating system will not only ensure the comfort of the tenant, (which means less complaints and happier tenants), but it will also increase the energy efficiency of the property.
One of the most significant bills you will face from an HMO or student house is the energy bill and, with rising fuel costs putting a dent in everyone’s pocket in 2022, it’s an important consideration.
An inefficient or outdated heating system can waste energy, causing it to be a lot more expensive, both financially and for the environment. Hardly a plus point when you’re looking to encourage the very best tenants into your property.
If a Gas Safety Check shows that your boiler is not working the way it should, it might be that boiler replacement is the most appropriate and cost effective course of action to ensure the property is 100% safe.
Get your Landlord Gas Safety Check booked in today
When making your property Gas Safe, it’s also important to remember that all electrical equipment needs to be checked regularly, too. It is not a legal requirement for PAT tests to be undertaken in a HMO; however, it is good practice to hire a qualified professional to conduct this testing.
At Paine Manwaring, we offer a range of plumber and electrician services for landlords. To find out more, get in touch with a member of our team today.