The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has suggested a series of changes relating to the required gas safety checks that must be carried out by landlords across the UK.
The body has started a consultation regarding the proposed changes, which state that all landlords must carry out the checks "at intervals of no more than 12 months since it was last checked for safety." These changes are aimed at further protecting tenants living in rented properties from faulty gas appliances including ovens and boilers.
It's essential to make sure you have the right type of landlord insurance to cover you and your property for any eventuality, especially when it comes to health-related issues such as gas safety.
The body is also suggesting adding in a clause to the safety check requirements that makes it compulsory for landlords to carry out gas safety checks between 10-12 months of the previous check, but to be noted as if they were conducted on the expiry date.
The consultation document from HSE explains the proposed changes, saying: "In order to ensure that checks are carried out at intervals of no more than 12 months, many landlords start the process for gaining access to properties at around 10.5 months after the last check, according to a survey carried out by CORGI Technical Services.
“However, since in about 75 per cent of cases, landlords do gain access promptly, this leads to a shortening of the safety check cycle year-on-year. If landlords carry out a gas safety check every 10.5 months, this results in ten annual gas safety checks being completed over a nine-year period, instead of the statutory nine," the document said.
The HSE predicts that the changes could save landlords some £22 million every year due to having to carry out fewer gas safety checks over the time period. The consultation ends on 27 January next year.
