Lanlord's saftey check? What is it / what it covers, etc ??

[joekeegan]

Hello

I hope somebody can help me please:

I am thinking about renting out my 2 bedroom flat that I no longer live in. I have heard about something called a Landlord's safety check but am not exactly sure what it is or entails.

I am guessing it is me having to have my gas appliances serviced by a gas engineer, possibly every 1 - 2 years?

Could anyone who knows kindly explain to me what exactly a landlord's check is and how I go about getting one or who often I require one and for what it covers?

Thanks for your kind help

Joe

 

[kevindgas]

a landlord is required by law to have any gas appliance inspected annually

the minimum standard is

gas tightness test (often called a soundness or drop test)
a visual inspection of the gas pipework and appliances
a visual inspection of any flue attached

a service is not usually included in the price

 

[joekeegan]

Thank you so much for your quick reply.

So basically, it is a legal requirement, but not a full service.

Is an annual service legally required, or is this optional?

One other question, what is the approx. price for a gas landlord check, is it per appliance or per flat/house etc. I have a gas cooker and a gas boiler.

Thanks for helping me, all the best kevindgas.

 

[Agile]

Kevin would also measure the burner pressure of the boiler and the operating pressure of the cooker and to througherly test the cooker and look for a stabilisation device ( often a chain! ).

Kevin would also check the gas meter has a label on the valve and an earth bond fitted.

If renting for the first time you need an electrical inspection too but thats only repeated every three years whilest th egas is repeated every year.

Tony

 

[joekeegan]

Sorry I also have a gas fire (forgot to mention in original post)! - so 3 gas appliances.

 

[Agile]

That also has to be checked as well. We charge an extra £15 for that.

It may need to be removed from the wall to check the space behind it and the flue will need to be tested.

Many fires are capped off as trhey are rarely necessary and many fail the tests if they are older.

Tony

 

[joekeegan]

capped off? as in no longer to be used? why is this, what tests do they fail??

if i have say the boiler and cooker serviced as well as a landlord's safety check, will this entail much?

 

[picasso]

a landlord is required by law to have any gas appliance inspected annually

the minimum standard is

gas tightness test (often called a soundness or drop test)
a visual inspection of the gas pipework and appliances
a visual inspection of any flue attached

a service is not usually included in the price

since when was it minimum standard to do a tightness test ? as far as I know this isint part of a cp 12 (although it should be)

 

[tryitandsee]

This might be an occasion when what ever utilities supplier you have for 'dual fuel' ie gas and electric, you sign up to their monthly Landlords' standard maintenance fee. It will be slightly more expensive as it is for Landlords, but it normally covers an annual service, including gas safety checks to all appliances and usually gives a priority call out number that the tenant can call.

It's sods law that the boiler will go wrong when you are away on holiday and you can't organise quick/reasonably priced repair

 

[mickyg]

This should explain it

http://www.hse.gov.uk/gas/domestic/faqlandlord.htm#faq2

 

[kevindgas]

agile says kevin will also .......

you stalking me again tony

but yes i might check these other bits ... if your really lucky

anyway charges vary from engineer to engineer we would charge £65 for up to 3 appliances and £21 per appliance for any requiring a service to pass.

 

[kevindgas]

since when was it minimum standard to do a tightness test ? as far as I know this isint part of a cp 12 (although it should be)

so you have tested the appliances by gas rating them using a U gauge and passed them even though there is a 2mbar leak on the carcass!! which you won't find as you haven't done a tightness test!
that is why i would always do a let by and tightness test as part of the inspection.

also on the form both the version from Regin and Niceic that i have seen ask "satisfactory gas tightness test" with a yes & a no tick box immediately below the appliance details. (On our own its at the top under the customers details)

 

[picasso]

I dunno kevindgas, I think you like an arguement, you wrote .." the minimum standard is" a tightness test, there is no requirement to do a tightness test on a cp12, it doesnt matter whats wrote on the form, and please note I WOULD NOT sign a cp12 without doing a tightness test just pointing out its not a requirement.