Posted 14.01.18
Batchelors Solicitors: Article link
Currently, housing associations need to ensure that access to properties is planned in advance and tenants are notified far ahead of the expiry of the current gas safety certificate, so as to ensure its own compliance with the Gas Safety (Installation & Use) Regulations 1998 (the "Regulations").
Under the Regulations a landlord must inspect gas appliances every 12 months.
As a result of this forward planning though, landlords usually inspect at month 10 or 11 and so lose as much as a month from the previous gas safety certificate.
This leads to an unnecessary waste of resources, particularly when this is considered in light of the number of inspections each year; a landlord could in effect inspect one property's gas installations 10 times in 9 years due to losing a month each time. This though could all be about to change.
Under proposed changes likely to come into effect in April 2018, a new regime will be implemented by the Regulations. A landlord will be given a window between months 10-12 within which to inspect.
If inspection is completed during this point, the gas safety certificate will still count as if it was completed on the last day of the 12th month. p>*****
Updated 19.01.18
