As a landlord, you are responsible for the safety of your tenants. Landlords' duties apply to a wide range of accommodation, occupied under a lease or licence, which includes, but not exclusively:
The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 deal with landlords’ duties to make sure gas appliances, fittings and flues provided for tenants are safe.
If you let a property equipped with gas appliances you have three main responsibilities:
All installation, maintenance and safety checks need to be carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
If a tenant has their own gas appliance that you have not provided, then you are responsible for the maintenance of the gas pipework but not for the actual appliance.
You should also make sure your tenants know where to turn off the gas and what to do in the event of a gas emergency.
The contract you draw up with the tenant should allow you access for any maintenance or safety check work to be carried out. You have to take ‘all reasonable steps’ to ensure this work is carried out, and this may involve giving written notice to a tenant requesting access, and explaining the reason. Keep a record of any action, in case a tenant refuses access and you have to demonstrate what steps have been taken.
Visit the HSE website for more information about landlords' responsibility for gas safety.
Even if a property is only rented for a short period of time, perhaps only a week as a holiday home, you are still a landlord and have specific duties for gas safety