You'll need a new gas safety certificate as soon as possible in the event that yours was lost or destroyed. This doesn't have to be a costly process.
Landlords are required to obtain a gas safety certification (CP12) and renew it each when the certificate expires. Failure to comply could result in heavy fines.
What is a gas safety certification?
Gas safety certificates are the official paperwork given to landlords and homeowners after an Gas Safe registered Engineer has inspected the gas appliances and installations within their property. It is essential for health and legal reasons.
Gas Safety Certificates are usually on a standardised form, in yellow and black. They will contain the date, the name of the engineer and the address, as well as any issues or repairs that were discovered. It will also list all of the gas appliances and installations that were checked and will indicate the fact that each one passed or failed the safety inspections.
The certificate will inform you the appliances or installations that are rated as either AR (at risk) or ID (immediate threat), and will advise that they be repaired or replaced immediately. The certificate will also note any appliances that were classified as NCS (not to current standards) and Mkgassafety.Co.Uk recommend that they be replaced immediately with more modern models.
Landlords who require a Gas Safety Certificate replacement should contact a gas safety professional immediately. The sooner they can contact a professional in gas safety, the more likely that they will be able to get their new certificate before their old one expires. Gas Safety Certificates expire, and can result in fines or imprisonment. It is best to obtain a new one before the expiration date of your old one.
Homeowners who are looking to sell their property should be sure to have an active Gas Safety Certificate before putting it up for sale. This will put potential buyers at ease and make them more likely to purchase the property.
A Gas Safety Certificate is not mandatory for homeowners who live in the same house as them, but it's certainly recommended. It will give peace of mind and assist to identify any issues early on, helping to keep the family safe and reduce the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Who is in need of a gas safety certificate?
Landlords are required to have their gas appliances inspected by a registered engineer every 12 months and must provide their tenants with a copy the certificate. This assures that the landlord has taken the necessary steps to ensure that the property safe for their tenants and reduces the risk of accidents resulting from appliances that are not maintained properly. Landlords who don't have an approved gas safety certificate could face penalties, or even criminal charges, therefore it is imperative that they arrange to obtain a replacement CP12 as soon as possible.
The CP12 will not only verify that all appliances are safe to use however, it will also inform you if any are unfit for purpose and, consequently, dangerous. Any appliances that are considered unsafe to use will be identified with the code ID AR, NCS or CP12 which means they must be replaced as soon as they can or risk immediate danger. If required the engineer asks permission to remove any appliance they believe to be unsafe.
People who need to renew their CP12 regularly include landlords, property owners who lease out their properties, as well as gas engineers, gas fitters and installers, who must renew their CP12 every year to remain legally employed. If a landlord is found not be in compliance, they could be charged with letting their property without having a valid CP12.
If the original certificate is lost or missing and lost, a new CP12 is required. If the original engineer still appears on the Gas Safe Register they should be able locate the record of inspection and issue a duplicate CP12 certificate. If not the gas engineer can search the Gas Safe Register using the property address and date of inspection to locate the correct record.
For those who are looking to sell their property, a valid gas safety certificate can increase the odds of a speedy sale. Potential buyers will feel more secure knowing that the home was properly inspected and that all appliances are safe.
How do I obtain a gas safety certification?
If you are a landlord, there are many ways to get an official gas safety certificate. You can either use an organization that is specialized in issuing them or contact your local gas engineer and inspect your appliances. Once they have done this they will provide you with an original certificate which you should keep for your records. You should also provide your tenants a copy of the certification, either within 28 days of the inspection or at the time they start their tenancy.
It is important to ensure that the engineers who carry out these checks are Gas Safe registered, and that you can verify their identity whenever they visit your home. They will ensure that the pipes are not leaking or prone to leaks, and also that the chimneys and flues are clear of carbon monoxide build-up. They will also make sure that the gas appliances are operating properly and that the ventilation is not blocked.
A gas safety certificate is a crucial document for any landlord, and it should be properly preserved to be able to refer to it in the future. The landlord may use it in many different situations for example, when selling the property, to prove that they have a warranty in the event of an accident or to avoid legal issues.
To avoid any legal issues, a copy of the original document should be made as soon as possible in the event that it gets lost or destroyed. A duplicate can be physically copied or a digital copy and should be kept in a secure location to ensure its safe storage.
There is no grace period for obtaining an gas safety certificate, so you should always renew before the expiry date. If you don't do this you could be facing severe penalties, including imprisonment.
Some landlords are having difficulty getting access to their homes to conduct the annual gas safety checks. Send a letter to your tenant explaining the reasons for the check. This will often encourage them to allow you in. If you do not have a Section 21 notice, you can begin the eviction process by serving it to them.
What is the cost of a gas safety certificate cost?
The cost of gas safety certificates is contingent on a variety of factors including the amount and types of appliances that are in the house, its location, and the engineer's rates. The more appliances that are in a home the higher the cost of the inspection. However, landlords can usually find discounts and deals on these services by shopping around and compare prices. It is also helpful to consider getting quotes from multiple engineers before making a decision.
The primary purpose of gas safety certificates is to verify that all gas appliances and pipework is safe to use in a home, so the engineer will conduct a range of checks. These will include checking that gas appliances are fitted correctly, ensuring adequate ventilation and testing the flues to ensure that harmful gases aren't released into the building, and making sure that there aren't any danger leaks in pipes or appliances.
Landlords are legally required to conduct regular gas safety checks for their rental properties. They are an essential part of landlord responsibilities and aid in ensuring that tenants live in safe, comfortable homes. A CP12 gas safety certificate, or gas safety record for landlords is evidence of these regular inspections and will detail the results of any tests carried out on each of the gas appliances within the property. The CP12 will also detail any actions the engineer took as a result of the inspection as well as the name and registration number of the engineer who conducted the test.
It is ideal to have a gas safety inspection done before new tenants move into the property. However this isn't always possible. In these instances it is recommended that you schedule the inspection a minimum of a week before the expiration date of the current inspection. This will ensure that you do not incur any additional costs for an emergency or last-minute inspection.
It's also worth considering a service contract, which will include gas safety inspections and boiler servicing into one easy package. These are usually more expensive than organizing these services separately, but they can save landlords money over the long run by cutting down on their annual maintenance expenses.
