Landlord wants me to pay bill for investigation of gas leak

[TeddyNovak]

Little while ago I could smell gas in the property I rent. I'd ignored it but the smell kept coming and going, over a period of a couple of months. Not a massive smell, but noticeable to me.

I phoned the local gasboard who came round and capped the supply and advised my landlord. Eventually he got somebody to come round and look at the apparatus. He couldn't find any problem, so uncapped the gear.

Smell returned later, repeat process. And again. Final visit by the fitter saw him carrying out pellet test etc etc and he felt sure that there was no leak. Since his final visit, there has been no recurrence.

Landlord received bill for this, from fitter. Landlord says that, as there was no leak detected, I'll have to pay the bill.

Doesn't seem reasonable to me; rather than simply telling him I'm not going to, can somebody give me chapter and verse - ie, its his appliance and he has to pay the bill according to so-and-so act of Parliament.

I should point out that the kit concerned is ancient, has been capped previously and has been a source of problems for previous tenants. I was without heating for two weeks, so its not something I did lightly.

I note that, despite the fitter making three visits I can only see a bill for the initial visit. I also note that the fitter was asked to produce a Gas Safe certificate following his visit - I understand that he is legally required to produce this, so asking me to pay for it is a bit cheeky...

Can he make me pay? I'm certain I could smell gas, as could my partner. Just because no leak was detected doesn't mean there was no intermittent leak. I think I'm legally obliged to report a smell of gas.

Thanks

Teddy

 

[rjm2k]

At the end of the day, a bill for a fitter is much cheaper than a blown up house or being prosecuted for the death of a tenant. I wouldn't pay for it.

 

[Agile]

Your smelling is not a scientific test!

A reg gas engineer actually tests for leaks.

A free visit is made by Transco Nat Grid and they will advise if they agree there is any leak. You have not commented on that.

I would agree that you should pay for the engineer's visit if you claim there is a gas leak and none is found by TNG on their free visit.

The landlord is required to annually have a gas safety test done and you must be given a copy of it. That will normally include a gas leakage test.

Tony

 

[TeddyNovak]

Tony, I'm not saying that my smelling gas is scientific. I'm saying that I could smell gas, as could my partner.

Just because no leak was detected doesn't mean there was no leak - it means no leak was detected. Not the same thing.

The gas board ( I know thats not what they're called ) couldn't find a leak, but as I could smell gas, the capped the supply.

 

[TonyW2]

Surely if the resident believes they can smell gas and they report it to the gas distributor and subsequently to the landlord, any costs resulting from any further actions, or indeed any decision to check on the tenants belief and ignore it, is not the responsibility of the tenant.
Suppose it were a visitor or anonymous bypasser who reported it?

 

[Agile]

There is a free test available from TNG.

If that shows no leak and the tenant continues to ( wrongly ) allege that he smells gas then I would not expect the landlord to have to pick up costs from further engineer visits.

People "smelling" is not a scientific test and many I attend are not actually gas.

The leak testing is a scientific test!

The details being provided here are incomplete.

Tony

 

[TeddyNovak]

I'm fascinated to understand how you can say I wrongly allege I ( and my partner) could smell gas! Am I making it up? Did I have a secret plot to deny myself heating for two weeks in winter?? That'll learn me.

The details are not incomplete, either.

No leak was detected - which doesn't mean there was no leak, it means that no leak was detected.

Absence of proof is not proof of absence. I could smell gas on three occasions, my partner could also smell gas.

Since the last visit of the fitter, I haven't smelt gas. Am I imagining not smelling gas, too?

 

[Dan Robinson]

You'd be surprised at what tenants dream up.

 

[TeddyNovak]

Yeah, I made it all up so that I'd have no heating for two weeks in winter.

Thanks for that. Nice welcome.

 

[Agile]

The details are incomplete because you have not explained why you were without heating for two weeks when there was no gas leak measured.

How can you be so sure that it is gas which you have smelt?

So if you are so sure that there is a gas leak then where do you think its coming from?

Why do you think that it cannot be measured?

Do you know that nat gas has no odour?

Are you paying your rent on time?

Tony

 

[Tibbot]

No leak was detected - which doesn't mean there was no leak, it means that no leak was detected.

If they carried out a soundness test and it showed zero drop, it means no leak. That is absolute proof and would mean what you smell either doesn't come from your installation or it isn't gas.

 

[TeddyNovak]

Tony

Thanks - I'm well aware that gas has no natural odour and there is an indicator chemical added.

I pay my rent on time, thank you.

I was without heating because the supply was capped. Fitter visited on three occasions and it wasn't until the third visit that I was unable to smell gas ( or I pretended to smell gas.

(Not that I can smell gas, because it has no natural odour. )

You don't appear to have read my point about failure to detect a leak differing from there not being a leak.

Thank you.

 

[Dan Robinson]

Its not about nice welcomes.... its about you not liking what you are being told by people that know far more than you do on how these things work.

Tenants do all sorts of things that they sure and s&it wouldn't do if they were paying a mortgage.

I am a but interested in what the Pellet test was in aid of. And no you shouldn't have to pay for the annual inspection.

But repeated erroneous call outs is not the fault of the landlord.


Simples.

 

[TeddyNovak]

Dan, I am not in the habit of making things up.

I could smell "gas" on more than one occasion and as a dutiful tenant ( who really didn't want to have his daughter killed in a gas explosion) I called the gasboard and reported it to the landlord.

The implication from your post is that you feel I should ignore what I, and my partner, take to be the smell of "gas".

The pellet test was ( AIUI) to make sure that the chimney / flue was working correctly.

 

[Dan Robinson]

National Grid test the installation twice and said there was no leak.

They are not affiliated to your landlord in anyway.

You should have an annual gas safety inspection - did you have one in place?

All sorts of things can smell of gas - drains are a classic one.

I am not saying that you should ignore a smell of gas. I am saying that when you are told several times that there is no leak by different people that have nothing to gain by saying otherwise; that you should have gone down different a different path.

What you relationship is with your landlord is I do not know, but from the sounds of it, things aren't rosie.

As has been said - information is not complete.