As the owner, there can be no greater responsibility than the safety of your tenants. Discover what you need to know to keep them safe and comply with the law. The problem with a supply of gas and appliances is that it is very difficult for the layman to know if something is wrong. When you smell gas, it is fairly clear what the problem is, but not all problems are easily detectable. The deadly carbon monoxide is odorless and colorless. If your tenants are exposed to it, they probably won’t notice that something is wrong until it’s too late. Therefore, as an owner, it is vital that you obtain a landlord gas safety certificate for real estate with a gas supply and that you keep it up-to-date.

What is the Landlord Gas Safety Certificate?

As a landlord, the law requires that you have gas appliances on your property with regular service to ensure that they work safely and work efficiently. To help you do it right, the owner’s gas safety certificate (also known as CP12 certificate) is like a checklist for your annual gas safety inspection issued by the Gas Safe Register. It also serves as proof that a registered Gas Safe engineer has inspected the gas appliances, flue ducts and accessories of your rental property in the past 12 months.

The good news is that if your home gas appliances that are in good condition, placed in sensitive places according to the regulations and installed by professionals, obtaining a gas safety certificate should be easy.

This is what you need to know:

• After you have obtained your certificate, you must deliver it to your tenants within 28 days.
• You must also give a copy to new tenants when they move in.
• Keep all your CP12 certificates for at least two years.
• Checks must be carried out by a registered Gas Safe engineer or you will not receive the correct legal certification.
• You are not responsible for a gas appliance that is brought by your tenants, only for the management that supplies them.
• If you allow tenants to bring gas appliances, you insist that they pass a security check.
• Tell your tenants how they can shut off the gas in the electricity grid and what they should do in an emergency condition.

How to find a gas safety engineer in your area?

London Property Inspections cover all of the London and M25 areas. Our engineers are gas safe registered and we have vast network of engineers contracted with us. You can book your appointment with us living in any area of London and M25 areas. All of our registered technicians have a gas-proof ID card with them, so make sure you verify gas safe ID before performing the task.

How much does a gas safety certificate cost?

As there is no standard price, every Gas Safe engineer applies his own rates. Expect the cost of the certificate to vary between £ 59 to £79, depending on the number of devices you need to check. London Property Inspections charge £59 for gas safety certificate with one gas appliance and we charge £10 extra per gas appliance.

Which inspections will the gas safety engineer carry out?

To ensure that you are fully satisfied, it is worth knowing what to expect when the technician calls. It is ultimately the responsibility of the owner to ensure that all checks have been carried out, so it is a good idea to have a checklist of what the engineer should do:

• Check the gas pressure (both standing and running)
• Check if devices are not properly secured
• Check whether the ventilation is satisfactory
• Check whether the burner pressure / gas pressure matches the manufacturer’s data plate
• Check the smoke flow
• Check the misuse of gas appliances or appliances
• Check whether the safety devices work correctly

If you keep all appliances in good condition and ensure that your tenants know how to use them correctly, there are no problems when it is time for the engineer to perform his inspection.

Keep your gas safety certificate updated

As a reminder: the gas safety regulations state that you must give each tenant a copy of the gas safety certificate within 28 days after completing a new check and also provide a copy of the current certificate to new tenants before they move. You must keep a copy of the certificates for two years and this can be stored electronically (for example on your computer), but it must be uniquely identifiable (i.e via an electronic signature). Your tenant must accept that your copy is sent electronically and also agree to print it off if necessary.

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