Landlords have specific legal responsibilities to their tenants when it comes to gas safety

Understanding the law for rental accommodation

If you are a landlord letting a property equipped with gas appliances you need to understand and comply with the law relating to gas safety.

If you let a property, you must make sure that pipe work, appliances and flues provided for tenants are maintained in a safe condition. You need to have a gas safety check every year. A Gas Safe registered engineer must carry out the safety check in your properties in Great Britain and the Isle of Man. You must give your tenants a copy of the gas safety certificate within 28 days of it being carried out or before they move in.

You are also obliged to show your tenants how they can turn off the gas supply in the event of a gas leak.

Annual checks

As a landlord, you are legally responsible for making sure that a Gas Safe registered engineer checks the gas appliances in your rental properties every 12 months and gives you copies of the gas safety certificates.

Gas safety certificates

When your Gas Safe registered engineer has checked the gas appliances in your rental property they will give you a gas safety certificate. This certificate confirms the gas appliances have been checked and are safe.

You must give your tenant a copy of these gas safety certificates within 28 days of the checks being done, or give a copy of the gas safety certificate to a new tenant before they move in.

Remember, you must keep a record of each safety check for two years.