Do's and don’ts for Gas Safety Week
Eric Asare 14/09/2021
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Is there danger in your home?
According to the Gas Safe Register, one in four homes in the UK has a potentially dangerous gas appliance. That’s a lot of potential damage to property and – far more importantly – to homeowners and tenants. One estimate we’ve seen quotes a massive 700,000 incidents resulting from dodgy appliances in the last year alone. So as it is Gas Safety Week, we thought we’d remind you what you should be doing to keep your property as safe as houses.
The Gas Safety Week website has a useful list of ten top tips for homeowners, which is well worth reading. But what about landlords? There are specific regulations that apply to rented properties and anyone letting a house or flat should be well aware of what they are.
What are a Landlord's Obligations?
As a landlord, you are legally responsible for the safety of your tenants in relation to gas safety. By law you must:
- Repair and maintain gas pipework, flues and appliances in safe condition
- Ensure an annual gas safety check on each appliance and flue
- Keep a record of each safety check
You should also keep your tenants informed about their responsibilities while they are staying in your property and encourage them to recognise the signs of carbon monoxide poisoning. This is potentially fatal and there are six symptoms to watch out for which are: headache, dizziness, breathlessness, nausea, collapse and loss of consciousness. To read all the legal requirements for landlords in full go to the HSE website here. Never try to cut costs by carrying out servicing or maintenance on gas appliances yourself – no matter how good at DIY you think you are - and don’t ignore the regulations. It could be fatal, and could be costly, with non-compliance carrying fines of up to £6000 or even imprisonment. If you want a quick and easy way to ensure your property is compliant, why not take a closer look at our automated lettings platform PlanetRent. It makes compliance really simple and even reminds you when those all-important checks are due. you can also book services or call out engineers in an emergency, while keeping your tenants informed of progress. They even get the chance to deliver their feedback on any repairs so you can see how well your contractor did. There’s no subscription so check it out today.
Planetrent Properties
info@planetrent.co.uk
0208 0599 550 (for sales)
Under Offer: This term applies to a property where the landlord is considering an offer but remains on the market. It implies that further offers may still be considered until the landlord formally accepts or declines the current offer.
Let Agreed: This term indicates that a landlord has provisionally agreed to enter into a rental agreement with a prospective tenant, pending additional checks and referencing. It doesn't require the prospective tenant to have paid a holding deposit.
Let: This term signifies an established binding rental agreement between the landlord and tenant.
For both lettings and sales, the guidance addresses additional terms:
New On The Market: This term is used for a property not advertised since its last sale or rental. It should only be used for a brief period.
New Instruction: It applies to a property assigned to an agent for marketing recently, even if it was previously listed with another agent without being sold or rented.
New and Exclusive: This term refers to a property that is either new on the market or a new instruction, exclusively available through a specific agent or portal.
New Method of Sale/Let: This term is used when a property is being marketed for sale or rent using an alternative approach to the original advertisement, such as transitioning to an auction or sealed bid.
Reduced: This term indicates that a property's price has recently been reduced. The reduction should be genuine and comply with the Chartered Trading Standards Institute's guidelines on pricing practices.