Gas Safety Week (17-23 September) is an annual event to raise awareness of gas safety and the importance of taking care of gas appliances, co-ordinated by Gas Safe Register.

Landlords are legally responsible for the safety of their tenants and should therefore make sure maintenance and annual safety checks on gas appliances are carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer.

Unsafe and/or poorly maintained gas appliances can lead to carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning, gas leaks, fires and explosions with devastating results. So it's crucial to ensure that gas safety laws and regulations are adhered to year-round.

Landlords are legally obliged to make sure that:

  • Gas pipework, appliances and flues provided for tenants are maintained in a safe condition.
  • All gas appliances and flues provided for tenants' use have an annual safety check. You can set a reminder at StayGasSafe.
  • Maintenance and annual safety checks are carried out by a qualified Gas Safe registered engineer.
  • All gas equipment (including any appliance left by a previous tenant) is safe or removed before re-letting.
  • A Gas Safety Record is provided to the tenant within 28 days of completing the check or to any new tenant before they move in.
  • A copy of the Gas Safety Record is kept for two years.

Maintaining appliances is important for homeowners, too. Our checklist will help you to ensure gas safety in your home or rental property:

  • Have your gas appliances serviced regularly and checked annually.
  • Make sure your gas engineer is Gas Safe registered and check their Gas Safe ID card which gives details of which gas-related areas he or she is qualified to work in.
  • CO poisoning causes 40-50 deaths each year so it's essential to install Carbon Monoxide (CO) monitors.
  • Tell-tale signs that an appliance is unsafe include lazy yellow flames instead of crisp blue ones, marks or stains on or around the appliance and excessive condensation in the room.
  • Be aware of the six signs of CO poisoning: headaches, dizziness, breathlessness, nausea, collapse and loss of consciousness.
Further information

For more advice contact Savills Lettings

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Savills plc published this content on 21 September 2022 and is solely responsible for the information contained therein. Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 21 September 2022 08:59:05 UTC.