Landlords have a range of legal obligations and responsibilities when it comes to gas safety. However, many landlords are still not providing suitable or adequate heating and hot water, that they can prove is safe. As a result, here at K and M Maintenance, Preston’s favourite gas engineers, we have produced this list of gas safety facts for Landlords.
Facts:
• Any gas appliances need to be installed by a professional, registered gas engineer to ensure the safety of your tenants. These gas appliances also need to be regularly serviced and maintained, again by a qualified professional.
• Landlords must legally carry out a gas safety check each year. During this test all of the gas appliances within the property must be tested and maintained to make sure that they are performing safely and effectively.
• Gas is the only source of heating, hot water and cooking for more than 21 million households in the UK. This dependence on gas appliances leads to vulnerabilities from carbon monoxide poisoning, gas leaks, and fires.
• Landlords must avoid illegal and unregistered gas fitters to ensure the safety of the tenants. This may seem obvious, but more than 7,500 gas fitters working illegaly across the UK and more than 250,000 gas related jobs implemented illegally!
• Gas appliances that are fitted illegally can have dramatic consequences. All of the dangers associated with gas appliances occur when the appliance is fitted incorrectly, or malfunctioning. An unqualified gas fitter is much more likely to fail to notice problems with the appliance, and at the same time be more likley to fit an appliance incorrectly. This can lead to many problems including fires, leaks and explosions, as well as carbon monoxide poisoning.
• In fact, from 2008-2009 18 people died and 310 people were injured as a direct result of dangerous gas fittings. A further 15 people died from carbon monoxide poisoning. Landlords are legally obliged to protect their tenants from similar fates.
In summary
We hope these gas safety facts for Landlords has been beneficial and will help support tenants that are being treated unfairly, as well as Landlords looking to follow the correct practices. If you need any installation, repair, or maintenance work, don’t hesitate to contact the professionals at K and M Maintenance, Preston’s favourite gas engineers.