Oxford landlords reminded of gas safety responsibilities
Posted by Sue Hopson
Those considering buying-to-let in Oxford and elsewhere have been reminded of landlords' responsibilities when it comes to gas safety by a recent court case.
A landlord from Oxford was fined for endangering the lives of his tenants after he failed to provide safety records for gas appliances at a property he rented out in Didcot.
Under UK law, landlords are required to have all gas appliances installed by a registered Gas Safe engineer and regularly inspected to ensure they are in safe working order. Records proving the appliances are safe should then be provided to tenants.
But an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the landlord in question had had no Landlord's Gas Safety Check Record for his property.
He was subsequently fined £2,000 and ordered to pay costs of £2,179 after pleading guilty to the offences at Oxford Magistrates' Court.
"Landlords have a duty to ensure that their gas appliances in a property are safe to use - this means ensuring an annual gas safety check is carried out by a suitably qualified Gas Safe registered engineer," said Paul Johnston, chief executive of the Gas Safe Register.
"It also means being able to provide tenants with an up to date gas safety record. It is important that tenants also know their rights when it comes to gas safety issues and aren't afraid to ask to see evidence that gas appliances have been checked and are safe."
HSE inspector Dozie Azubike added that even if gas appliances are installed correctly, they can become unsafe over time, which can lead to tenants suffering serious injuries or even fatalities.
"It is therefore important that landlords fulfil their gas safety obligations to their tenants," he commented.
A recent study by the Gas Safety Trust found that those who live in private rented accommodation are 50 per cent more likely to suffer from CO poisoning than those living in an owner occupied property or one with a social sector landlord.
Social media