Do I Need a Landlord Gas Certificate for a New Boiler?

When renting out a property, each landlord has to assure their tenants that all gas appliances are safe to use. That is why landlords are obliged to perform an annual gas safety check. This applies to both single-lets and HMOs (houses in multiple occupation). But what if you need to change a boiler that has been recently inspected? Do you need a gas safety certificate for a new boiler? Well, this post will not only give you the answer but also clarify all the obligations of a landlord, related to the gas safety of a rental property.

So, if you want to find out:

• Whether your newly installed boiler needs a landlord gas safety certificate;
• For how long a gas certificate is valid;
• Whether you need to register a new boiler.

Keep on reading!

What is a landlord gas certificate?

“Landlord gas certificate” or “gas safety certificate” is an official document that proves that a landlord has met his/her obligations to ensure that all of the gas appliances in the property are safe to use. It is required by the law and should be renewed annually.

You might hear people referring to it as “CP12”, “gas safety record”, or “landlord gas safety record”. Don’t get confused, those are names of the same document! 

Do you need a landlord gas certificate for a new boiler?

You don’t need to get another inspection before the due date if your new boiler has been installed by a Gas Safe registered engineer. A professionally installed appliance is considered safe for 12 months from the date of installation. However, your next inspection still should be performed one year after the previous one if you have other gas appliances, such as a gas oven or hobs.

Let’s say you have inspected your old boiler in January 2021 together with the rest of the gas appliances. Due to some circumstances, you get a new boiler in June. Here comes the question of whether you need to perform another inspection before the previous Gas Safety Check expires. In this situation, if other gas appliances have been checked in January 2021, then the due date for your next gas safety inspection is January 2022.

Why as a landlord you need to have one

Even though everyone is aware of how dangerous a neglected gas appliance can be, a kind reminder won’t hurt anyone. Unsafe appliances can endanger your tenants’ lives. Such unpleasant incidents as gas leaks can result in fires and even explosions. And that’s not all! Around 60 people die from carbon monoxide poisoning in the UK every year, due to a gas leak from a faulty and unmaintained gas appliance. Therefore, according to the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, an owner of a property that has gas fittings, appliances and flues has to carry out an annual check.

The landlord’s responsibility includes the following three obligations:

Maintenance of the gas appliances 

All the gas appliances have to be checked regularly following the manufacturer’s instructions. If those are not available, the minimum work should include external and internal appliance examination, pipework check, performance test, and restoration, if needed.

Gas Safety Checks

To assure the tenants that the gas appliances are suitable for continued use, landlords should order a Gas Safety Check every 10-12 months after a previous check. The same is relevant for newly installed appliances. If your appliance was installed less than a year ago, you need to have it checked within 12 months of the installation date. The inspection needs to be performed only by a Gas Safe registered engineer.

Record

Landlords should provide their tenants with a copy of the latest safety check record within 28 days of its completion. If new tenants move into your property, you should provide them with a copy of the latest Gas Safety Check. The record must include:

If an engineer has noticed a defect, he should provide you with the recommendations for any further work that is required. The gas safety record, together with any documents related to appliances repairs, should be kept for two years from the issue date. You can also consider the idea of investing in a landlord boiler cover plan that includes a gas safety certificate.

Do you need to register your new boiler?

When you install a new heating appliance, you should inform your local authorities within 30 days from the installation date. It concerns not only the boiler itself but any heating appliance. 

Usually, a Gas Safe engineer reports through the Gas Safe register and within 15 days, you should receive a Building Regulations Compliance Certificate by post. 

For Scotland and Northern Ireland, the requirements may vary. You can find all the relevant information on the official Scottish government and the Building Control Northern Ireland websites.

It is in your best interest to check if your engineer has notified the authorities. Furthermore, if you need to order a replacement certificate, you should contact your Gas Safe register. The duplicate certificate costs £6.

Need a Gas Safe registered engineer?

Planning to install a new boiler? Or maybe, you want to perform an annual Gas Safety Check? The paperwork is always overwhelming, that is why Fantastic Services is here to ease things up for you. You can expect nothing but a professional service. Our specialists are fully Gas Safe registered and always comply with the latest safety standards. You don’t need to search for a solution when it is right in front of you! Get your Landlord Gas Safety Certificate now!

Takeaways

• A landlord gas certificate is a document that is required by the law and should be renewed annually;
• The landlord’s responsibility includes maintenance of all the gas appliances, gas safety checks and recording;
• If you install a new boiler before your previous Gas Safety Check expiration date, you won’t need to request another inspection, as long as the installation has been performed by a Gas Safe engineer. The scheduled date for your next annual servicing remains the same, however, in terms of checking the rest of your gas appliances in the property;
• All the checks should be performed only by a Gas Safe registered engineer.

Want to know more about how to successfully manage your rental property? Head over to our collection of tips for landlords in the UK!

Disclaimer: Every piece of information here is meant for informational and educational purposes only. So please, do not use this as a definitive legal basis. Fantastic Services encourages you to seek authority professional counsel before you decide to act upon what you have read. For more information, check our disclaimer.

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Have any of your annual inspections given you a bad time? Let us know about your experience in the comments. 

Source: Depositphotos / dnaumoid