Why tradespeople need to provide a gas safety certificate for landlords

Why landlords need to provide a gas safety certificate

When renting out a property, landlords are legally obliged to provide a number of things. One of their responsibilities is to make sure that both gas and electrical equipment is safely installed and well maintained.

The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 (GSIUR) outline in more detail what landlords need to do in order to comply. As a tradesperson, its not just homeowners that you’ll end up working for. So it is helpful to familiarise yourself with the relevant legislation.

Due to initiatives such as Gas Safety Week and the Gas Safe Register, it has never been easier for landlords to comply. As a registered tradesperson, you can provide the correct certificates and carry out the necessary checks.

The main responsibilities for landlords when it comes to gas safety are:

• Make sure safety checks are carried out
• Keep correct records (Landlord Gas Safety Record)
• Make sure that systems are well maintained
• Get an issue fixed as soon as possible

So as a tradesperson, what can you do to ensure that landlords meet the standard when it comes to compliance?

What services can tradespeople offer for gas safety?

If you’re a dedicated gas engineer, or a plumber working with gas, you’ll know how important it is to stay up to date with your training.

As a small business owner, especially when working with gas, you need to keep up to date with certificates. The same goes for landlords, so there are a number of services you can offer.

• Carry out landlord safety checks
• Provide the right gas safety certificate for both landlords and tenants
• Annual reminders to update certificates
• Regular maintenance contracts

When regularly carrying out quality work for people, it builds longlasting relationships.

As many landlords have more than one property, developing those relationships is important. Its a fantastic way to ensure you have regular jobs coming through.

For landlords safety checks, there are three main areas that need to be covered:

• Gas safety
• Electrical safety
• Fire safety

If you choose to upskill as a tradesperson, it is worth considering these three areas, as you’ll find you regularly find work.

It is regularly reported about the lack of skilled workers in the UK, and so Checkatrade remains committed to putting homeowners (and landlords) in touch with quality trades. Skilled gas engineers can easily train to carry out electrical and fire safety checks.

Through initiatives such as Trade-Up, your business could gain extra workers or skills to help you meet the needs of your customers.

How long does a landlords gas safety certificate last?

Gas safety certificates last for one year, meaning that they need to be checked and updated annually.

As a gas safety certificate for landlords will expire 12 months after you carry out the checks, it is worth setting yourself an automated reminder. If you use software like a CRM, then that can both remind you, and automatically send a reminder to the landlord about the upcoming expiry.

The CP12 Gas Safety Certificate is necessary for every single appliance that’s in a rental property. Most landlords choose to have them all checked at the same time, rather than staggered throughout the year based on different dates of purchase.

If there is a new appliance installed before the next annual check, it is still worth including them on the checklist.

The landlords are legally obliged to provide safe appliances and up to date certificates. Therefore, it makes sense to carry out more checks than are required within the first year. New appliances will also be covered by warranties in the unlikely event of faults.

How much does as landlords gas safety certificate cost?

Let’s get this out of the way first – Gas Safety Certificates costs are not fixed.

There are always going to be a number of factors that can affect their cost, especially as the necessary checks will take different amounts of your time.

Variables that will affect the work load of landlord safety checks are:

• Location – Where is the property situated?
• Number – How many appliances are installed?
• Type – What is the size of the property?

If you are the tradesperson that regularly works as the gas engineer for the property, you’ll be more familiar with it. It goes without saying. That means that repeatedly carrying out the same checks will probably take less time, as you’ll know where everything is.

Being a trusted and reliable tradesperson means you’re more likely to win repeat jobs, and with landlords, that is really useful, as many will own several properties. If you build up relationships, then landlords gas safety certificate costs will be much easier to quote for.

How can tradespeople stay Gas Safe?

It is a legal requirement that all businesses and engineers that work with gas must be on the Gas Safe Register. All Checkatrade members that work in that trade category are vetted to ensure compliance.

If your business or employees are not currently registered, we’ve put together a handy guide for you. It explains the reasoning and processes that you’ll need to know.

These are the main ways you can keep your business Gas Safe:

• Join the Gas Safe Register
• Make sure your certification is up to date
• Do the correct training
• Get insurance
• Become a Checkatrade member

When you need to supply a gas safety certificate for landlords, it is a legal document, showing that all appliances and installations are safe. If you have not had the correct training, you will not be able to make that call.

As a trade business, it is always important to have the right levels of insurance as well. When it comes to safety, you need to make sure that everyone is covered. You want to prepare for the unlikely event that something goes wrong.

Checkatrade members are regularly checked and vetted. We only guarantee the work of trade businesses that meet all of our requirements, and it helps build trust with customers too. Why not speak to someone in our team and join today?