HMO with gas meter and shut off valve not accessable for tenants

[Nilla]

Hi!
I am currently buying a brand new (just converted) HMO (House of Multiple Occupation), which means that the 6 bedrooms are rented out per room (and tenants sharing the kitchen). (It is in England).

Usually the gas meter and shut off valve are moved to a communal area (or outside) when creating an HMO.

However, this has not been done in this property. The gas meter and shut off valve are within the bedroom of one of the tenants (it is actually in the en-suite!). (room door is locked, so other tenants and the letting agent and/or landlord does not have access to the gas meter and the shut off valve. No special AST contract in place.

The vendor, who has bought a 4 bed terraced house and converted it to an HMO, says it is not a problem.

What are your thoughts? What does the law say? What is best practice?

 

[muggles]

Restricted access to the ECV is classed as At Risk in a non-emergency situation, for which the correct action is to turn off the supply until the situation has been corrected. The meter needs to be moved to a communal area.

 

[CBW]

Restricted access to the ECV is classed as At Risk in a non-emergency situation, for which the correct action is to turn off the supply until the situation has been corrected. The meter needs to be moved to a communal area.

Sorry, I’m inclined to disagree with turning it off, as it doesn’t remove the risk as per GIUSP:

 

[muggles]

Sorry, I’m inclined to disagree with turning it off, as it doesn’t remove the risk as per GIUSP:

Might have to agree to differ then! From my point of view, it does remove the risk as it prevents gas appliances being used with no access to emergency isolation, and additionally removes the risk of leakage with no access to emergency isolation. The risk is that the supply can't be turned off in an emergency. By turning the supply off before an emergency can occur, the risk is removed.

 

[dilalio]

Have to agree with Andrew.
Isolating the installation pipework and appliances downstream of the ECV, by turning it off, DOES remove any risk.

Pipework upstream of the ECV that is at risk, such as a built over supply, is usually something that will not have the risk removed by turning off the ECV.

That's how it was explained to me at gas school

 

[FiremanT]

Hi!
I am currently buying a brand new (just converted) HMO (House of Multiple Occupation), which means that the 6 bedrooms are rented out per room (and tenants sharing the kitchen). (It is in England).

Usually the gas meter and shut off valve are moved to a communal area (or outside) when creating an HMO.

However, this has not been done in this property. The gas meter and shut off valve are within the bedroom of one of the tenants (it is actually in the en-suite!). (room door is locked, so other tenants and the letting agent and/or landlord does not have access to the gas meter and the shut off valve. No special AST contract in place.

The vendor, who has bought a 4 bed terraced house and converted it to an HMO, says it is not a problem.

What are your thoughts? What does the law say? What is best practice?

You will be charging the tenants extraordinarily high rents . So do the right thing and get it moved, or fit individual valves (AECV) to each room. (Assuming they don't each have one).

Bear in mind that if a Cadent engineer visits and needs access, he will, ultimately, break down the door - at your expense.

You clearly know the dangers so why even think about leaving it?

You could also involve Gas Safe, as there is likely to have been illegal gas work. Any RGI could to have done work contravening the regs is liable to be forced to rectify at his cost - a refusal risking his registration

 

[gas112]

Going to cost about 1000 quid to get moved then additional alteration to internal pipe so get that knocked off price