The UK legal regulations are very detailed when discussing the standard for landlords of rental properties in relation to gas safety. The property has to be inspected for gas safety levels by a Corgi approved engineer. If the landlord does not meet this requirement he or she are liable to a fine of up to 5,000 and up to six months imprisonment.
The law requires the landlord to ensure the following:
* Open flue gas appliances should not be located in the same room where people are sleeping, or a bathroom.
* Any work such as repair, service on installation to gas appliances must be carried out by a Corgi certified engineer.
* Both mobile and fixed gas appliances in the property must be kept at a safe working condition and inspected on an annual basis by a Corgi registered engineer.
* Any work done on gas appliances within the premises should be approved according to a list of safety tests undertaken by a Corgi approved engineer.
*The tenants must have unrestricted access to all appropriate documentation for all gas appliances (such as manuals, safety notices, instructions and labels).
*A clear set of records is kept detailing the dates of safety inspections and any defects identified and respective work undertaken. The tenants must have access to a copy of these records within 28 days of the safety inspection or prior to new occupants moving into the property.
Carbon monoxide poisoning is responsible for around 20 - 30 deaths in the UK every year. It is highly recommended that landlords install carbon monoxide detectors to protect the tenants. Carbon monoxide is a colourless, odourless gas that is the result of incomplete burning within the boiler, and is normally a result of poor boiler installation. The gas, which is a combination of a single molecule of carbon with a single molecule of oxygen, is very dangerous as it causes serious breathing difficulties, potentially leading to lethal consequences.
The legal guidelines for landlords are very demanding when it comes to ensuring all domestic boilers are checked and serviced annually. Large landlords and housing associations find it difficult to meet such statutory requirements mainly owing to the administrative and logistical complexity of arranging access for the Corgi engineer to each property.
Analysing this industry shows that it can prove very difficult for a landlord of a large block of flats to arrange access to each property for the gas engineer. During normal hours, most flats are empty (while the tenants are at work), with very few tenants willing to stay at home and wait for the gas engineer to call in. As tenants are reluctant to take a paid leave to stay at home for such gas safety check, it is difficult for landlords to meet their legal requirements.
Landlords, who are obliged to comply with the law, may have to resort to obtaining an entry warrant if the tenant does not co-operate. This can incur additional cost of approximately 500 per dwelling for police attendance and making good.
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