is this legal? - urgent advice wanted on plumbing when renting, please

MissMoneypenny

carolt wrote: »

It's been more than weeks now with no gas safety cert - months, actually. Am fairly sure that's illegal, but would like confirmation.

"What are my duties as a landlord in relation to gas safety?

You have duties under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 to arrange maintenance by a Gas Safe Registered engineer[2] for all pipe work, appliances and flues, which you own and have provided for your tenants use. You must also arrange for an annual gas safety check to be carried out every 12 months by a Gas Safe Registered engineer. You must keep a record of the safety check for 2 years and issue a copy to each existing tenant within 28 days of the check being completed and issue a copy to any new tenants before they move in."

My bold.


http://www.hse.gov.uk/gas/domestic/faqlandlord.htm#faq2

carolt

Thanks, Miss Moneypenny.

How refreshing to have someone provide factual answers to my questions, rather than tell me my job as a tenant is to be a cash cow for my landlord, never mind if they're breaking the law. :rolleyes:

MissMoneypenny

Even better - here you are carol

What can I do if my landlord won't provide me with a record of the safety check?

Remind your landlord of their legal duties under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 to keep a record of the safety check for 2 years. They must also i ssue a copy to each existing tenant within 28 days of the check being completed and issue a copy to any new tenant before they move in. You may wish to write to your landlord requesting sight of the safety check record (see below specimen letter). If they still refuse to provide you with a copy contact your local HSE Area Office.[3]
Specimen letter requesting a gas safety check or sight of the safety check record:
(Your address)
(Landlord's name)
(Landlord's address)
(date)
Dear (Landlord's name)
RE: (Address of Property being let)
As you are aware, the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 place duties on landlords. One of those duties is making sure that gas appliances and flues they own in the property which they let, are maintained in good order and checked for safety at least every twelve months. Landlords must also keep a record of the safety checks and issue these to their tenants.
Unfortunately to date, I have not been shown a copy of the safety check record carried out at the above property, which I now rent. Therefore I would be grateful if you could show me a copy of the safety check record for the above property within the next 10 days.
Yours sincerely
(Your name)

• Download an editable copy of the letter

http://www.hse.gov.uk/gas/domestic/faqtenant.htm#faq4

carolt

Thanks, fabulous.

carolt

Should add, the damp has made my asthma really awful; both I and my 9 year old, who also has asthma, were up half the night coughing as a result of the mouldy smell.

Been told this plumber not free till mid-week. Is there any come-back about the fact that me and my daughter are going to have to face wheezing and not sleeping for several more days till this is fixed?

Emmzi

were you in when the gassafe bloke came round to do the gas check, and did he say it was ok? I assume so or he would have condemed the boiler. IMHO that it has been done, is more important than having a bit of paper to say it has been done.

If you weren't in and you don't know, then do pursue the certificate, but generally if there is a risk they turn the gas off so you can't hurt yourself.

rather than exoend effort sueing and complaining, I'd move. You and this landlord are going to be a poor match. To me, he seems to be making reasonable steps, but they don't match your expectations.

carolt

Er, no.

I don't think expecting the landlord not to break the law is actually me being demanding. I don't see why I should have the massive inconvenience of moving, when my landlord can have the rather smaller inconvenience of providing me with a piece of paper in accordance with the law.

Can you?

Are you a landlord too, by any chance, Emmzi? :rolleyes:

clutton_2

""both I and my 9 year old, who also has asthma, were up half the night coughing as a result of the mouldy smell.""

and yet you moan when someone comes round this morning ????? - did you open the windows ?


Originally Posted by clutton
have you ASKED for one ?
Yes.
................. - then ask again



you HAVE had a gas safety inspection by a Qualified gas engineer - you just dont have the certificate

""Is there any come-back about the fact that me and my daughter are going to have to face wheezing and not sleeping for several more days till this is fixed? ""

i doubt it very much - you called the LL yesterday - he sent someone in in less than 24 hours - this is very "reasonable" in terms of the law.

Whether you had a mobile for him or not - he responded pretty darned fast - is there no pleasing you ?

As i seem to be posting over and over again lately - landlords are not magicians - repairs take time

This is yet another post where from one initial repairs issue we are again faced with the "lets bash more landlords" type posts

I do not condone lack of LGSC - but as someone else has said - it has been done - and yes Carolt should have the cert - but its not the end of the world is it ?


""rather than tell me my job as a tenant is to be a cash cow for my landlord"" where did i say that ?

I am a tenant at present and was without hot water (as well as heating) for 6 days last week - i did not moan because i knew my landlord was doing his very very best trying to get someone professional in - when half the gas engineers are on holiday in august and it was a weekend also

tolerance and patience is whats needed

Blackpool_Saver

This thread got off to a bad start, i would repost if I were you.

carolt

clutton wrote: »

""both I and my 9 year old, who also has asthma, were up half the night coughing as a result of the mouldy smell.""

and yet you moan when someone comes round this morning ????? - did you open the windows ?

Yes, of course I did. What a totally stupid and unhelpful comment. I slept with all the windows open and a hot water bottle, actually, as I was freezing. But the mould is under the landing, just outside my and my daughter's bedrooms, and permeates the house. No amount of window opening is going to get rid of that.


you HAVE had a gas safety inspection by a Qualified gas engineer - you just dont have the certificate

""Is there any come-back about the fact that me and my daughter are going to have to face wheezing and not sleeping for several more days till this is fixed? ""

i doubt it very much - you called the LL yesterday - he sent someone in in less than 24 hours - this is very "reasonable" in terms of the law.

Whether you had a mobile for him or not - he responded pretty darned fast - is there no pleasing you ?

As I said earlier, what if the ceiling had fallen down in the night, before the landlord had bothered to respond?

As i seem to be posting over and over again lately - landlords are not magicians - repairs take time

This is yet another post where from one initial repairs issue we are again faced with the "lets bash more landlords" type posts

I do not condone lack of LGSC - but as someone else has said - it has been done - and yes Carolt should have the cert - but its not the end of the world is it ?

No, it's not - it IS illegal, though.

Or is it OK for landlords to ignore the law - should they just not bother with trivial little things like that? Should tenants be fine about their landlord breaking the law?


""rather than tell me my job as a tenant is to be a cash cow for my landlord"" where did i say that ?

I am a tenant at present and was without hot water (as well as heating) for 6 days last week - i did not moan because i knew my landlord was doing his very very best trying to get someone professional in - when half the gas engineers are on holiday in august and it was a weekend also

tolerance and patience is whats needed

Yes, but you are also a landlord and I have a feeling you are arguing with your landlord hat on and not your tenant hat on.

It's easy to say - you are not asthmatic and you and your 9 year old were not facing several days and nights of being unable to breathe properly. That is no joking matter, believe me.

Tolerance and patience are nice, but I actually think that professionalism is what is needed. I'm not 'mates' with my landlord, I pay a lot of money for a safe and maintained roof over my head, and that's what I expect to receive.