All owners in the United Kingdom are required by law, in accordance with the Gas Safety Regulations 1998, from a registered engineer who is authorized to conduct such an investigation and provide a gas safety certificate to verify their gas accessories and all devices.

After the inspection, the engineer enters all details of what he has verified in the owner’s gas safety registration form. This form is also called the Gas Compliance Certificate or CP12 certificate. The engineer provides copies of the certificate for both the landlord and the tenants.

The certificate became legally necessary to prevent gas explosions. The legalization also takes into account smoke emissions and carbon monoxide poisoning.

The certificate was essential to prevent material damage and to protect human lives, as gas leakage accidents can be fatal. Most accidents that occur are due to defects in accessories and devices that can be easily prevented.

During a gas safety check the engineer may encounter problems such as a defective chimney or a damaged pipe, which can be remedied by carrying out the necessary repairs. In this way, all those potential hazards can be tackled and accidents prevented.

Is the annual gas safety certificate mandatory?

Owners are required by law to ensure that all gas accessories, appliances, etc. are free of danger and safe for the use of their tenants.

Inspection by a qualified technician and obtaining the certificate is mandatory annually, even if the tenant is not going to use the gas connection. The rule is to check if there is a live gas supply to the property.

Advantages for the lessor: a thorough verification by a certified engineer and the obtaining of an annual gas safety certificate protects the lessor against the fault of any accident that may occur.

You can also prevent financial losses as a result of a lawsuit against you.

Advantages for the tenant: for the tenant the London gas certificate is a guarantee that you can stay without having to constantly worry about the danger of setbacks due to faulty gas connections.

How often must the owner’s gas safety check be carried out?

If you are a tenant, you must perform a gas safety check once a year. If you have had one recently, the following test must be performed within twelve months. It is also mandatory to obtain the gas certificate whenever the property is rented.

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