Gas & Electrical Safety – A Landlord’s Guide

Landlords and holiday homeowners are required, by law, to carry out certain safety checks to ensure the safety of their tenants. The electrical standards were updated in 2020. To help we have summarised the regulations and your requirements as a Landlord:

The Gas Safety Regulations 1998

These regulations cover landlords’ duties to make sure gas appliances, fittings and flues provided are safe. This regulation states that by law you must:

• Repair and maintain gas pipework and ensure flues and appliances are in safe condition.
• Ensure an annual gas safety check on each appliance and flue.
• Ensure that any room converted to use as sleeping accommodation must not contain: A gas fire, gas space heater or a gas water heater (including a gas boiler) over 14 kilowatts gross input, unless it is room sealed.

Landlords must ensure that the gas safety check is carried out by a Gas Safe Registered engineer every 12 months. A record of the safety certificate should be retained for at least 2 years and a copy provided to tenants.

Electrical Safety Standards in the private rented sector Regulations 2020

These regulations for landlords are intended to ensure that electrical installations are safe. The new regulations mandate that landlords must:

• Have electrical installations in their properties inspected and tested by a person who is at least every 5 years. Installations must be inspected prior to the start of a new tenancy from 1/7/20 or for existing tenancies by 1/4/21.

This must then be carried out by a qualified electrician every 5 years and a copy provided to tenants.

Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) is an examination of electrical appliances that checks for potential defaults that are not obviously visible. It is recommended but there are no specific requirements, nor does it state how often they should be tested.

Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015

Brought in to protect tenants and save lives, these regulations state:

• Landlords must install at least one smoke alarm on every floor of their properties.
• A Carbon Monoxide alarm must be fitted in every room where solid fuel is used.  It is the landlord’s responsibility to ensure that the alarms are working at the start of each new tenancy.

Carshalton Boilers gas and electrical engineers can advise on any remedial work that is required to bring your boiler and/or appliances up to standard. We can complete and issue a gas safety certificate and ‘Landlord Safety Report’ before your property is let. Our electricians can visit your property and test all portable electrical appliances. For gas and electrical safety enquiries please contact us on 020 8395 8060 today.