Gas Safety Certificates for Holiday Homes: What Are the Rules?

A holiday home is a small accommodation typically used for less than 30 days of temporary dwellings. Such an accommodation is also used for corporate travels or holiday vacations. A holiday home is often called a holiday cottage, vacation property, or vacation home. Such an accommodation aims to spend leisure time, preferably with family, away from the busy life. So, a holiday home has to have at least a minimum of the basic facilities for a comfortable dwelling, free of any hassle.

Generally, a holiday home is a rented accommodation, but some people also like to buy one. In either case, the holiday cottages or homes have to comply with specific safety rules and regulations as applicable to residential properties, both rented and self-owned. It includes Fire Safety, Electrical Safety, swimming pool, and bathtub safety, oil safety, and gas safety regulations. 

Accordingly, the landlord of a holiday home must follow these rules and regulations, the Gas Safety Regulations being the point of focus of this blog. So, the landlord of a holiday home is legally bound to obtain the "gas safety certificate" after conducting an annual gas safety inspection on all the gas appliances installed in the holiday premises.

Different Types of a Holiday Home

Holiday homes are meant to provide temporary but comfortable lodging for travelers, holidaymakers, and families, as close as possible to the comfort of their own homes. That's why a holiday home is often called a "second home." Holiday cottages are often preferred over traditional hotels by most holidaymakers, as these are more comfortable, have more facilities, and have better privacy when it comes to enjoying leisure time with family.

Different variants of a holiday home can be found in the UK. Some of them are explained here:

• Holiday Cottage – Typically, a small accommodation situated in the suburban areas, away from the cities. Ideally, they must have an open yard around it. Mainly these cottages are located in the countryside, in picturesque places.
• Holiday Lodge – Holiday lodges are traditionally a part of the large Mansions. These were historically built with walls, but nowadays, they don't have a boundary wall around them. These are relatively larger than the cottages and suitable for families. 
• Holiday Mansion – It is a relatively large accommodation, as compared to the cottages and lodges. It may have extra facilities, such as a gym, swimming pool, gaming area, and a mini cinema hall. This type of holiday home is suitable for spending a good vacation time with large families or friends.
• Holiday Country Home – Historically, the traditional English aristocrats used to have a second home in the countryside in addition to their usual home in the cities. This type of holiday home can be found in some areas of the UK and can also be rented for a holiday trip. 

Tax Relief Rules for the Holiday Homes 

The holiday homes in the UK have to follow the rules, as mentioned below, to get a certain tax relief:

• A holiday home should be available for rent for a maximum of 140 days in 12 months.
• They should be rented out for a minimum of 70 days in 121 months. 
• The total duration of long-term renting should not exceed 155 days in 12 months.

Tax relief for holiday homes has been abolished in some countries, whereas it is still available in others.

Gas Safety Certificates for Holiday Homes

The Holiday Homes are also covered under the prevalent building rules and regulations in the UK. In addition to other regulations, Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 are equally applicable to all types of Holiday Homes. 

Here are some important provisions of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 and its further amendments under the title Gas Safety (Installation and Use) (Amendments) Regulations 2018, which are applicable to the Holiday Homes:

• The annual Gas safety inspection is mandatory for all holiday homes, whether connected with a direct gas supply system or using gas supplied in bottles or cylinders. 
• The landlords of Holiday Homes are responsible for the safety of the property and the occupants against risks and threats associated with gas. 
• They are responsible for arranging annual gas safety inspections on all the gas appliances and allied fittings and pipework installed in the Holiday Home.
• A gas-safe registered engineer must carry out the annual gas safety inspection. 
• The Gas Safe Register is an official organization responsible for registering gas safety engineers, who can then work on gas installations and appliances in a Holiday Home. The gas safe register issues a license to such engineers, which is valid for 12 months and has to be renewed before its expiry.
• After the successful completion of the inspection on all gas appliances, the engineer will produce a landlord gas safety certificate for a holiday home. This certificate will be valid for a period of 12 months and will have to be renewed before its expiry date, preferably in the last two months before the expiry date. 
• Letting a holiday home without a valid landlord gas safety certificate for holiday homes is illegal. 
• Gas appliances in a holiday home also include a boiler and flues. So, the annual gas safety inspection must also be done on them, along with other gas appliances, such as cookers, ovens, hobs, and burners. 
• 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 for use. 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 standards of safety. Such appliances should be replaced with new ones as early as possible to avoid any mishaps.

These are the general rules that are applicable to all types of holiday homes, as per the Gas Safety Regulations 1998. However, if a holiday home does not have any gas appliances installed on the premises, the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 is not applicable to it. Therefore, such a Holiday Home does not require a Gas Safety Certificate. 

On the other hand, if a Holiday Home uses one or more gas appliances but is self-owned (not rented), it is also exempted from the compulsory annual gas safety inspection and obtaining a gas safety certificate, as is the case with self-owned residential properties. However, it is in the best interest of the holiday homeowner to conduct regular safety checks and servicing of the gas appliances through a gas-safe registered engineer. 

Cost of Annual Gas Safety Inspection of Holiday Homes

The cost of the annual gas safety inspection of Holiday Homes may vary with the type, size, and location. It also depends on the number of gas appliances installed in the holiday property. The overall cost of an annual gas safety inspection and issuance of a landlord gas safety record or gas safety certificate may range between 50 to 145 Pounds. 

Conclusion

A holiday home should essentially be just like a conventional home; hence often referred to as a "Second Home." Therefore, all the building laws and various safety regulations are equally applicable to the Holiday Homes, as well. Gas safety rules and regulations are also included in it. Hence, a holiday home must be annually inspected for gas safety to ensure that the gas appliances, including boilers and flues, are safe for use by the occupants. 

Accordingly, all the relevant provisions of the Gas Safety Regulations of 1998 must be complied with by the landlords of the Holiday Homes. One of the compulsory requirements of the gas safety regulations is the annual inspection and issuance of landlord gas safety certificates for holiday homes. Like all other gas safety certificates, it is valid for 12 months. It needs to be renewed on an annual basis but before the expiry date of the current gas safety certificate. 

However, if a holiday home is self-owned or does not have any gas appliances, it is exempted from the mandatory requirement of an annual gas safety inspection or obtaining a gas safety certificate. The holiday homeowners are encouraged to conduct a regular gas safety inspection at least once a year to protect their property and families against any potential risk of gas accidents.