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What If My Landlord Doesn’t Have A Gas Safety Certificate?

Gas safety certificate is a requirement a landlord has to provide before renting out a property. (Letting a property that does not use gas safely is illegal and may result in a criminal charge!)

Gas safety checks must be performed yearly, according to the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. The goal of this inspection is to protect tenants from gas-related hazards while also ensuring that only licensed individuals perform installations.

Landlords are required to provide this certificate to tenants before they move in. Noncompliance can result in a fine or imprisonment. More information about the legal documents that landlords must provide before renting out a property can be found here.

So, what happens if my landlord does not have a gas safety certificate?

To begin, you should be aware that having a gas safety certificate is mandatory and obligatory because it is enforceable, and failure to have one is a criminal offence.

If your landlord refuses to provide a gas safety certificate despite your complaint, you should first remind them that the Gas Safety Regulations 1998 require them to do so.

Currently, a landlord must make advance arrangements for the gas safety check to be performed every twelve (12) months and keep a record of the previous two years’ gas safety reports.

If your landlord continues to refuse to provide the gas safety certificate after you have requested it, you have the right to report him or her to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) using the LGSR1 form, a complainants notice.

You may be unable to sue your landlord directly if they continue to fail to perform gas safety checks; however, the HSE has the authority to prosecute landlords who fail to meet their gas safety responsibilities.

Due to the high volume of complaints, this process may take some time or result in your complaint not being fully addressed. As a result, it is always advisable to consider reaching an agreement with your landlord on the safety check.

This does not change the fact that a landlord’s refusal to comply with current gas safety requirements to ensure the safety of his or her tenants is a criminal offence.

If all else fails, the HSE should issue a warning to the landlord, and if that fails, the HSE may sue the landlord.

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This blog post is not intended to constitute legal or financial advice.