What is a Landlords gas safety certificate?

A gas safety certificate (sometimes referred to as a CP12) is a mandatory requirement for all landlords in London.

Defined by the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations in 1998 it specifically concerns the installation, maintenance and use of gas appliances, fittings and flues provided for tenants use in relevant premises*

A safety certificate is NOT a boiler service, it is designed to ensure any and all gas appliances and pipe-work within the building are safe. The law requires a landlord to have a gas safety certificate issued by a gas safe registered engineer every year.

Within the certificate itself you will find the following

• The date of the inspection and the address of the property
• Full details of the inspector, including his gas safe registration number
• Full details of all the gas appliances including their locations
• Any defects identified and details of any corrective action undertaken
• Whether a service has been carried out and on what date
• A statement confirming that the safety check completed complies with the requirements of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998

What happens if my gas inspection in London Fails?

As mentioned above your inspection record will contain details of any defects identified and the corrective work required or already taken.

• Of course you must ensure that any corrective work is conducted by a Gas Safe registered engineer before the equipment is used again.
• It is a criminal offence to use, or allow the use of a gas appliance you know to be unsafe.
• Landlords who fail to observe these regulations risk prosecution, the consequences of which could be an unlimited fine and or imprisonment.
• It is prudent to keep copies of any paper work related to the rectification of defects identified by the report as you may be required to present this at a later date.
• Under no circumstances should you reconnect an appliance that you have been informed is unsafe, where it has been either isolated or disconnected for safety reasons you must wait until the fault has been corrected by a qualified gas safe engineer before using the appliance again.

What are the costs of a Gas safety certificate in London?

The average cost of a gas safety certificate in London ranges from £80 - £120 however the price can vary depending on the number of gas appliances within the premises.

Should I use a Gas Safe engineer or a Corgi engineer?

Gas Safe Register has replaced CORGI in Great Britain and the Isle of Man as the governing body for all gas practices. The Gas Safe register was initiated after the Health & Safety executive for Great Britain conducted a review of gas safety in 2006. After consultation with the gas industry, engineers and the public a decision to change to a new gas registration scheme was made. The contract to run the new scheme was awarded to Capita Group Plc and the Gas Safe Register was launched from the 1st April 2009.

Definitions

Landlords

Those individuals who own property which is entirely or partly rented to tenants

Relevant Premises

• properties would include
• rented houses
• holiday homes
• bedsits or rooms in a shared house or Guest House

*That is those occupied for residential purposes under either a licence, a tenancy agreement for a set term, or a lease as defined in the regulations. Essentially any lease under seven years is covered.

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