Gas Safety Tips For Landlords

Gas safety must be top of any landlord's priorities.   If your gas appliances are checked regularly they should be safe and efficient.  Here's some tips to keep your property safe...

Gas safety must be top of any landlord’s priorities. If your gas appliances are checked regularly they should be safe and efficient. Here’s some tips to keep your property safe and warm:-

1. Have all your gas appliances regularly serviced and safety checked every year by a Gas Safe Registered engineer. You will need to provide a gas safety record to your tenants when they move into a property and within 28 days of each safety check being done.
2. A Gas Safe registered engineer will have a Gas Safe Register ID Card. You can check that they are qualified for the work you need doing by looking at the information on the back of the card (or by checking on gassaferegsiter.co.uk – see below)
3. Fit an audible carbon monoxide alarm. This will alert your tenants if there is carbon monoxide in their home. The best ones come with a sealed Lithium battery and five or ten year guarantee. Remember, if you have a solid fuel source you will need a carbon monoxide alarm in that room to comply with the Gas Safety Regulations.
4. Know the six signs of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning and make sure that your tenant’s know them too – headaches, dizziness, breathlessness, nausea, collapse and loss of consciousness. Unsafe gas appliances can put your tenants at risk of CO poisoning, gas leaks, fires and explosions.
5. Check gas appliances for warning signs that they are not working properly e.g. lazy yellow flames
   
   instead of crisp blue ones, black marks or stains on or around the appliance and too much condensation in the room (your tenants should be made aware of these warning signs too).

Don’t just take the engineers word that they are qualified and registered. You can find and check an engineer by calling 0800 408 5500 or follow the steps below:-

Visit www.gassaferegister.co.uk

Firstly, select Find an Engineer from the menu and enter your postcode. Now, check that the business has an engineer who is qualified to work on your appliance. Call 2 or 3 businesses to check prices and availability and go with the one you feel happiest with.

The HSE website has lots of useful information too …

http://www.hse.gov.uk/gas/domestic/faqlandlord.htm

If you have anything lettings related that you’d like to discuss please get in touch by telephone 01489 579009 or email lettings@robinsonreade.co.uk – we’d love to get to know you.

Emma Macgregor MARLA

Lettings Manager

PS: If you are looking for a ‘smart let’ (http://www.robinsonreade.co.uk/quick-let-or-smart-let/) call us today on 01489 579009 or email us at lettings@robinsonreade.co.uk for honest, expert and friendly advice.