INFORMATION FOR TENANTS
Make sure your landlord is complying with the law
Your landlord has specific legal responsibilities when it comes to
gas safety. The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations
require your landlord to have a gas safety check done by a Gas Safe
registered engineer every twelve months.
Ask your landlord for an up-to-date landlord’s
gas safety record (previously known as a gas
safety certificate). This will show the appliances in the property
have been
safety checked by a
Gas Safe registered engineer.
What is a gas safety check?
Faulty gas appliances and fittings and blocked flues can cause the
following gas safety risks:
- Gas leaks
- Fires
- Explosions
- Carbon monoxide poisoning
A Gas Safe registered engineer will check these are in good working
order and safe to use. After the gas safety check, the engineer
will give your landlord a record of the checks carried out. Your
landlord must give you a copy of this gas safety record within
28 days. If you are a new tenant, you should get a copy of this
before you move in.
If a
Gas Safe registered engineer visits you to safety check your
appliances, it is in the interests of your safety to let them into
the property. Always ask to see their
Gas Safe Register ID card before letting them in.
What is a gas safety record?
If you are renting a property from a private landlord, from the
council, a housing association or any other landlord, ask for a
copy of the
gas
safety record.
When a Gas Safe registered engineer does a gas safety check in your
home, using a form they will write down details of the checks that
they carried out. This form is a gas safety record. It will list
each of the appliances and other gas fittings they checked.
Your landlord should have given you a copy of the gas safety
record; check the date to make sure it is not more than 12 months
old.
They must give you a copy of a gas safety record within 28
days of the checks being done.
If you’re a new tenant, ask your landlord or letting agent for a
copy of the
gas safety record before
you move in.
What if I own the gas appliances in my rented property?
If you own the gas appliances in your rented property, your
landlord is not responsible for getting them safety checked, you
are. But, your landlord may still be responsible for the
maintenance of the gas pipe work and any chimney or flue that
serves your appliances. In which case, you and your landlord should
arrange the gas safety check together.
What to do if you think your landlord isn’t gas safe
If you think that your landlord is not complying with the law you
should get in touch with the Health and Safety Authority for your
area. Failure to follow gas safety requirements is a criminal
offence and the HSE can issue a formal caution and may prosecute
your landlord.
Gas emergencies in a rented property
Make sure you know what to do in a gas
emergency. Knowing the
signs of danger and
carbon monoxide poisoning could save your life.
Ask your landlord to show you how to turn off the gas supply if
there is a gas leak. If you smell gas, call the 24 hour emergency
gas service for your area:
- Great Britain and Guernsey: 0800 111 999
- Isle of Man: 01624 644 444
- Northern Ireland: 0800 002 001
Carbon monoxide poisoning symptoms
- headaches
- dizziness
- nausea
- breathlessness
- collapse
- loss of consciousness
Find out more about carbon monoxide
poisoning
gas safety guide for tenants
Gas Safe Register
information for tenants