This week it is Gas Safety week, an annual week coordinated by the Gas Safe Register.
The object of the week’s campaign is to raise awareness of the danger of poorly maintained gas appliances – which can leak carbon monoxide, cause fires and gas leaks – and encourage the nation to get their gas appliances safety checked by a suitably qualified Gas Safe registered engineer if it’s been a year or more since they were last looked at.
One of the many advantages of using Homes’ Full Management Service is we can take responsibility for the annual Gas Safety Certificate.
As part of the week, the Gas Safe register has issued the following important guidelines for Landlords in order to be ‘Gas Safe’. These are:
- Only use a Gas Safe registered engineer to fit, fix and service your appliances.
- Have all your gas appliances regularly serviced and safety checked every year – keep copies of your Gas Safety Record.
- Know the six signs of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning – headaches, dizziness, breathlessness, nausea, collapse and loss of consciousness. Unsafe gas appliances can put you at risk of CO poisoning, gas leaks, fires and explosions.
- Check gas appliances for warning signs that they are not working properly e.g. lazy yellow flames instead of crisp blue ones, black marks or stains on or around the appliance and too much condensation in the room.
- Fit an audible carbon monoxide alarm. This will alert you if there is carbon monoxide in your home.
CHANGE IN THE LAW
Earlier this year, gas safety rules, relating to annual gas safety checks, were amended. The rules, which were amended in April, offer landlords greater flexibility when it comes to the timing of landlords’ annual gas safety checks. The new rules mean that landlords can carry out the annual gas safety check in the two months BEFORE the due date, and they still retain the existing expiry date.
To learn more about gas safety issues and our Fully Managed service for Landlords, please call us on 01420 593900 or email lettings@homesathomes.co.uk
