Landlords are responsible for maintaining their properties and ensuring the buildings are inhabitable for their tenants. This also applies to gas appliances and boilers that are included in the property. So just what do you need to do if you have gas appliances in the house or flat you rent out?
Regular maintenance and inspections
As a landlord, you are responsible for the upkeep of the appliances and heating systems in the building you rent out. This means you will need to schedule the maintenance, whether you do it yourself or hire a gas company to manage it for you.
If you do your own maintenance, you should keep careful records that will show exactly what you did each time. Be sure to inspect all the different gas appliances, from driers to cookers and everything in between. You should also have the boiler serviced each year before the cold weather begins. This will help avoid many of the common issues that may arise.
Your tenants will be happier if they are able to enjoy their home and live without fear of something exploding or going wrong with their gas. As the landlord, you’ll benefit from properly maintained appliances as well.
Gas safety checks and certificates
In order to hire out a flat, you need to have a safety certificate for your gas appliances and systems. This involves hiring a company to come to check the systems. They will examine the gas-powered systems from top to bottom and let you know if anything needs to be adjusted or replaced.
At the end of the process, you’ll have a warranty and a safety certificate that will allow you to hire out the space without any legal issues regarding the gas situation. You should always stay up to date on the gas safety checks, as you don’t want anything to happen to your tenants.
Emergency call-outs
Even when you have done the maintenance and kept up with your safety checks, accidents can happen. If you have a gas-related emergency, you need a gas company that is reliable and available for emergencies. They should be able to respond rapidly since time is of the essence when you’re trying to resolve a gas emergency. Whether it’s a leak or something has broken on a gas appliance, it will need to be fixed as soon as possible. You should also ensure your tenants have easy access to emergency contact details, just in case.
If you’re a landlord, West London Gas has a range of landlord services designed specifically for you, including tenant management and discounts for landlords. We provide everything from landlord safety certificates to gas checks with the landlord in mind. Contact us for more information.