The Benefits Of A Landlord Gas Safety Certificate

As a homeowner, you have some very important and sensitive responsibilities. Providing natural gas supply in your home is one of them.

Gas adds more convenience and comfort to your daily lifestyle, but it needs to be used carefully. The use of gas is not entirely risk-free, but you need to make it safe and secure for your family and your tenants and property. For this very purpose, there are some rules and regulations in place that you are bound to follow. You are bound by law to provide the required pipework to ensure the gas supply in your kitchen and other living areas of your home. It is also compulsory for you to get this job done by a qualified gas engineer, who must be registered with the gas safe register.

You also need to install different gas appliances in your home. For the safety of your premises and tenants, these appliances must be installed properly by a gas-safe engineer.

What is a gas safety certificate?

Once you have provided a basic gas pipeline and installed the required gas appliances at appropriate places in your home, the next step is to obtain a landlord gas safety certificate. Tenants are equally responsible for ensuring their gas appliances are working properly. A tenant gas safety check is, therefore, equally important as a landlord gas safety check. You may also follow the link gas safety check for more details.

A gas safety certificate is issued by the officials of the gas safe register after a complete gas safety check. The gas safe register is the governing body that regulates the use and safety of natural gas in homes. They register qualified gas engineers and issue licenses to them to work on gas appliances and pipelines.

To obtain a gas safety certificate, call one of the registered gas-safe engineers. The engineer will check all gas installations in your home and perform repair work wherever required. Once he is satisfied with the gas installations in your home, he compiles a detailed report by recording all necessary information.

After that, he will provide you with a gas safety certificate, which is a basic document in your hand proving that the gas work and gas appliances are up to the standard and are safe for use. This certificate is valid for 12 months. That means a regular annual inspection of your gas installations is mandatory to get the certificate renewed each year.

Types of a gas safety certificate

Gas safety certificates can generally be classified into different types as under

1. New build gas safety certificate: This certificate is necessary for the newly constructed building. It includes an inspection of the entire gas infrastructure provided in the newly constructed home.
2. Residential gas safety certificate: This certificate is issued for residential properties. It involves the inspection of all gas appliances installed in the home.
3. Commercial gas safety certificate: This certificate is for the buildings and properties used for commercial activities. This involves a more comprehensive inspection of entire gas installations in the building.

What is CP12?

CP12 is the old name of the landlord's gas safety certificate. Before the commencement of the gas safe register, the CP12 gas safety certificate was in practice. Afterward, this name was abandoned and is now called a homeowner or landlord gas safety certificate. However, many people still use the name CP12 but remember it is not in practice these days. It has been replaced with its new name, landlord gas safety certificate.

Benefits of landlord gas safety certificate

The landlords are legally bound to obtain a gas safety certificate. You must show this certificate to your tenant while renting out your property.

Some of the benefits of a gas safety certificate are explained here.

• A gas safety certificate is proof in your hand that you have installed all gas appliances in your property strictly as per the laid down rules and regulations.
• In case of any mishap related to gas in your home, the first thing that will absolve you from any legal complications is the gas safety certificate. The nonexistence of any such valid certificate may result in serious consequences. It may include heavy penalties plus possible imprisonment of 6 months.
• If you don’t have any gas appliances installed in your home, you are still required to get a gas safety certificate. Reason? Provision of gas supply at your home is your responsibility as a landlord. When renting this property, your tenant may use his own gas appliances. If you don’t have a valid gas safety certificate, you will be at fault. In this case, you may face legal action. To avoid the such unwanted eventuality, you must get a gas safety certificate, even if you don’t have any gas appliances installed at your home.
• In case of any mishap in your premises that may result in the loss of human life, you may have to face serious legal action. But if you have a valid gas safety certificate, you have legal protection against such happenings.
• Failure to get a valid gas safety certificate may result in insurance cancellation. Under the law, you may not be able to evict your tenant. So, make sure you always have a valid gas safety certificate. For more details on this very important issue, you may follow the link gas safety certificate.

Conclusion

As a homeowner, it is your responsibility to make good arrangements for gas supply at your home for safe and secured gas usage. At the same time, you need to follow the rules and regulations governing the use of gas in homes. Obtaining a valid gas safety certificate is one of these legal requirements.

It is important for you as a landlord to ensure the safety of your property and precious human lives. For this, you need to get your property regularly inspected by a registered gas safety engineer.

A gas safety certificate is a document that may safeguard you from any possible legal complications. So, make sure that you have a valid gas safety certificate. It goes a long way toward your safety.