Gas Safety Certificates for Furnished vs. Unfurnished Rentals

Gas safety has been a concern for the authorities worldwide, including the UK, since its usage for domestic purposes. Gas has been in use for long. In the olden days, the "Coal Gas" was manufactured and supplied to homes in the UK through a pipe network. It was gradually replaced with "natural gas." By the early 20th Century, natural gas, now referred to as simply "gas" almost entirely replaced Coal Gas.

The acceptance of the gas as the preferred fuel source is mainly based on its eco-friendly features. It is also considered safer for domestic use than conventional fuels like coal and oil. But at the same time, it cannot be rated as risk-free. It does have a couple of inherent threats, carbon monoxide poisoning being one of the significant risks.

Moreover, it can also prove dangerous if it starts leaking out of the pipework, which can cause fire or explosions. Several such instances are reported yearly, which also involve injuries and deaths, in addition to loss of assets. Hence, the gas safety laws were formulated to regulate gas use and protect people from its potential threats.

The landlords are responsible for ensuring the safety of their rented properties and tenants against possible gas accidents. The provisions of the gas safety regulations in the UK are applicable on both the Furnished and Unfurnished rentals. 

Furnished vs Unfurnished Rentals

All rentals would ideally be either furnished or unfurnished, but there is another category in between them: semi-furnished accommodation. In either case, any property offered for renting must have a minimum set of furniture and allied items. 

Unfurnished Rentals

The must-have items for any type of rented property are as under:

• Fixtures that are necessary for operating a kitchen, including hobs and cookers.
• Refrigerator and freezer.
• Washing machine.
• Heating and hot water arrangements. 
• Fixtures that are essentially required in a bathroom.
• Curtains and blinds.
• Reasonable flooring or alternately carpets.

Furnished Rentals

On the other hand, furnished accommodation would be the one which offers extra facilities, in addition to the above-mentioned basic amenities. That may include:

• Beds in every bedroom. 
• Sofas and armchairs.
• Dining table and dining chairs. The capacity of the dining table would depend on the size of the rented property.
• Other tableware as per the design and layout of the property.
• Cupboards or closets, per the requirement of the rental.
• A Chest of drawers.
• Any other item, fixture, or fittings that might suit the rented property. 

Semi Furnished Rentals

While there is no limit to providing extra facilities in a furnished property, a semi-furnished home will essentially have all the basic facilities, as mentioned above, but may have fewer facilities as compared to the furnished house. 

Gas Appliances 

One of the must-have items in any type of rental is the provision of gas and gas appliances. Gas appliances also include boilers, as they are required for heating the living area and supplying hot water. Hence, all the rented properties would essentially fall under the ambit of Gas Safety Regulations. 

Whatever the status of a rented property, whether furnished, semi-furnished, or unfurnished, the landlord is bound by the gas safety regulations to conduct an annual gas safety inspection and obtain a valid gas safety certificate. 

Gas Safety Regulations 

In order to protect the occupants of any rented property, gas safety regulations were formulated and implemented in the UK. Although gas safety regulations have been in place for a long, the main and comprehensive law was implemented in October 1998 under the title, Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. A major amendment in this basic law was later on done under the title Gas Safety (Installation and Use) (Amendments) Regulations 2018. 

Here are the main features of the gas safety regulations related to the landlords of rented properties:

• The annual Gas safety inspection is mandatory for all rented properties having one or more gas appliances installed therein. 
• The landlords are responsible for the safety of the property and the occupants against risks and threats associated with gas. 
• They are legally bound to conduct a gas safety inspection of the entire property and all the gas appliances and allied fittings and fixtures. It includes boilers and flues and the entire gas pipework within the property. 
• Only an engineer registered with the gas safe register is authorized to conduct annual gas safety inspections. A gas-safe registered engineer is also authorized to issue the gas safety certificate if the property qualifies for it. 
• The Gas Safe Register is the only official organization specifically responsible for the registration of qualified register gas safety engineers who have the expertise to work on gas installations and appliances. The gas safe register issues a license to such engineers. This license is valid for one year and needs to be renewed on an annual basis.
• After the successful completion of the annual gas safety inspection on all gas appliances, the gas-safe registered engineer will prepare a landlord gas safety certificate, commonly known as CP12 or gas safety records. This certificate will be valid for a period of 12 months and needs renewal before the expiration of the current one. This has to be done in the last two months prior to the expiry date of the current certificate.
• Landlords cannot rent out their properties without a valid landlord gas safety certificate. Any violation of this legal requirement will have serious legal consequences. 
• In case of one or more faulty gas appliances found in the Holiday Home, the engineer marks them as Unfit for Use. Under the provisions of the Gas Safety Regulations 1998, any gas appliance marked "Unfit for Use" cannot be used unless it is repaired or replaced.
• There are three categories of appliances marked as unfit for use. These are:
• Immediately Dangerous (ID) – The appliances marked as “ID” are unsafe. These appliances might need to be replaced, if the fault is serious or otherwise, it can be used after proper repair.
• At Risk (AR) – Any appliance labeled "AR" is also unsafe for use but the level of risk might be less than the ones categorized as "ID.” Such appliances can be used after repair and maintenance. However, it is recommended not to use such appliances unless the fault is removed.
• Not to Current Standards (NCS) – the appliances labeled "NCS" are considered fit for use, but it is a sort of warning that they may be somewhat risky as they do not meet the current safety standards. Such appliances should be replaced with new ones as early as possible to avoid mishaps.

Hence, the Gas Safety Regulations 1998 bind the landlords of rented properties to obtain a valid gas safety certificate, proving that all the gas appliances installed in the property can be used safely. 

Important

• Landlords are bound to provide a copy of the gas safety certificate to their existing tenants within 48 hours from the issuance date and within 28 days to their new tenants.
• Tenants are allowed to install their gas appliances per their requirements. In such a case, the gas safety inspection does not fall under the responsibility of the landlords. 

Gas Safety Certificates for Furnished vs Unfurnished Rentals

The most important question we often come across while talking about the gas safety standards and provision of gas safety certificates is, what is the difference between gas safety certificates for furnished and unfurnished rentals? 

Whether a property is furnished or unfurnished, obtaining a valid gas safety certificate (CP12) is legally binding for the landlords. Further, there is no difference between the gas safety standards for furnished or unfurnished rented homes; hence, the gas safety certificate for either of them will be the same. 

The gas appliances, including boilers, are the essentials for each type of rental, and the safety protocols for them are also the same. Hence, the process of annual gas safety inspection and issuance of gas safety certificates is also uniform. Practically, the process is the same for furnished and unfurnished rentals. 

Therefore, there is no difference between the gas safety certificates for furnished and unfurnished rentals. Similarly, all other legal requirements related to the gas safety of a furnished, semi-furnished, or unfurnished rented home are also the same.

Conclusion

All rented properties require an annual gas safety inspection to ensure that the gas appliances installed in the property are safe for use by the tenants. Under the prevalent gas safety regulations, this is legally binding on the landlords. 

Any property offered for rent having one or more gas appliances falls under the ambit of the gas safety regulations of 1998. The category of the rented property does not absolve the landlord against this mandatory annual gas safety inspection, whether it is furnished or unfurnished. 

Both types of rented properties have equal status when it comes to adherence to gas safety rules and regulations. Accordingly, the landlords of two kinds of properties are legally required to obtain a valid gas safety certificate after successful completion of the annual gas safety inspection. Most importantly, the gas safety certificates for furnished or unfurnished rentals are the same.