Gas Safe Register1634880
What is Gas Safe?
Gas Safe Register is the official registration body for engineers who are officially allowed to work on gas appliances (eg. Boilers, cookers, fires). Legally all gas engineers must be registered.
Gas Safe was formerly known as CORGI.
Gas Safe is in charge of maintaining a record of all registered Gas Safe engineers, and also investigating claims of engineers working illegally, investigating customer complaints about unsafe gas work, inspecting engineers on the register to ensure they meet the required standards and raising awareness about gas safety.
How will I know if an engineer is Gas Safe registered?
1. Gas Safe registered engineers carry registration cards, which you should ask to see before the engineer does any work for you 2. You can verify online on the Gas Safe Register 3. You can ask the engineer to show you his Gas Safe Register ID card
It is essential to check that an engineer is registered. Engineers who are not registered can't legally work on gas. By using an unregistered engineer you would put your family members and home at risk since unsafe gas work can cause explosions, carbon monoxide poisoning, leaks and fires.
I am a landlord. What are my gas security obligations?
As a landlord you are responsible for the safety of your tenants, whether or not short or long term.
You are responsible for making sure that all gas appliances in the property and gas pipes and flues are serviced at least each 12 months in line with manufacturer directions/recommendations.
If directions or suggestions are not available then a service by a Gas Safe engineer should be adequate.
By law, you must maintain a copy of your landlord certificate for a minimum of 2 years, and you must provide a copy to your tenant inside 28 days.
If a tenant offers their personal gas appliance then as a landlord you are only accountable for the maintenance of the pipework top to the appliance (but not the appliance itself, which remains the responsibility of the tenant).
You should use a Gas Safe engineer for all maintenance and work.
I am a student. What should I verify in my new rental property?
Your landlord is accountable for proving to you that the gas pipework, flues and appliances in your accommodation are safe by displaying you a copy of the most recent Gas Safe landlord certificate.
But what should you be especially aware of?
Carbon monoxide can kill. It is a great concept to buy a carbon monoxide alarm and take it with you to every property that you rent. It could save your life by alerting you if things are no longer safe. Carbon monoxide has no smell and it can be difficult to detect if you don't have an alarm. The symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are headache, nausea, dizziness, breathlessness, collapse and loss of consciousness.
Your landlord has to have your gas appliances, flues and pipework serviced and checked Each YEAR. He/she will be able to show you a copy of the most current inspection report, and you will need to give access to the property for the annual checks to be made when it is time. Your landlord must give you a copy of the Gas Security check report within 28 days of when it is performed, or when you move in. If your landlord can't offer this then you should look into this further for your own security as this may imply that the gas appliances and pipework are not safe (and at risk of fire, explosion, leaks or carbon monoxide poisoning). If you believe your landlord is not complying with the law you can get in touch with Gas Safe Register.
When an engineer arrives to do the annual check, you should ask to see his/her Gas Safe card.
If you bring your own gas appliance into a property, then you are responsible for having it checked and ensuring that it is safe and operating properly. Your landlord is only responsible for ensuring the security of the pipework that connects to the appliance.
