It’s a landlord’s overall responsibility to ensure that the property they rent out is safe and suitable to be lived in – and one element of this is complying with gas safety regulations. The Gas Safety Regulations 1998 state that it’s the responsibility of a landlord to ensure that all gas appliances, pipework, fittings and chimneys provided for tenants are safe. This minimises the risk of potentially dangerous accidents taking place, such as gas leaks, fires, explosions and carbon monoxide leaks.

But what are a landlord’s responsibilities?

A landlord’s responsibilities are threefold: to maintain the pipework and gas appliances they provide, to carry out periodic gas safety checks, and to keep a record of the results of these.

Maintenance – as part of a landlord’s duty to their tenants, gas pipework and appliances need to be maintained to a safe standard at all times – which means organising regular servicing in line with the manufacturer’s instructions, and getting the necessary repairs done promptly when required.

Annual gas safety checks – gas appliances and flues must be safety checked annually by a registered Gas Safety engineer. As the landlord it’s your responsibility to ensure that the gas engineer carrying out these checks has the necessary accreditations.

Keeping a record – landlords are required to keep a copy of the gas checks for two years. This should include details of when the tests were carried out, as well as specifics about the results. A copy of this record should also be given to tenants.

Landlords must also ensure that they comply with the building regulations when installing or removing any appliances. Hiring a qualified engineer for this work is essential, as they will be aware of and comply with these regulations, and a Building Regulations Compliance Certificate should be provided to prove the requirements have been met.  

Although it’s ultimately the landlord’s responsibility to maintain the pipework and the gas appliances they provide – it’s also important for tenants to do their bit to help. This means allowing a landlord access to carry out these safety checks when needed, and being flexible when making arrangements for the necessary repairs. It is also the tenants’ responsibility to ensure the safety of their own gas appliances at all times.