Renting - Notification fo Gas Certificate

sharpee

Hi I currently rent a house with my partner. LA have been totally incompetent and unhelpful since we have moved in.

Last week I had a missed call on my mobile form an unknown number. Curiosity got the better of me and I rang it back Monday to be told it was a plumber and he had the wrong number. I checked with our LA and they said they hadn't instructed a plumber to come to the property and there was nothing on our file. I got another phonecall monday night from said plumber saying he needed to come to our property the next day to carry out Gas Safety checks as our certificate is due to expire. I have no issue with this but as I work full time and can't get time off at such short notice offered him 6pm onwards during the week, 3pm onwards on friday or the weekend. He was rather disgruntle and said he would have to speak to the LA.

Tuesday evening I returned home to a hand delivered letter from LA reminding us of our obligations and that the contractor would be at our property 8am Friday.

I can't do this as partner is currently out the country and I need to be in work friday morning. So have written LA a letter stating we understand our obligations but unfortunately can't make that appointment would could it be rearranged for 3pm that same day or saturday. I put 'hope we can find a mutually convienent time and date for both parties'.

I know we are obliged under our tenancy agreement and that they only have to give us 24hours written notice. However 24 hours notice isn't enough for me to give my work, or my partner, due to the nature of our jobs.

What I want to know is our we entitled to ask to rearrange the appointment to a time/date that is convienent to alll involved?

Also a little narked that the LA gave out our personal contact details to a third party, surely they can't do this?

poppysarah

Chances are they'll let themselves in with a key if they have one...

Can you get a friend to be there?

Planner

Everything you say is correct, you have no obligation to let anyone in to your home, 24 hours notice or not. However, and its a big however, a gas saftey certificate is very very very very important for your saftey. You should make every effort to make/get a friend to make the appointment and/or give permission for the contractor to let themselves in with a key.

Anything less than that is cutting off your nose to spite your face.

In terms of your 'personal data', I suppose the plumber being given information to identifiy you is better than a family member having to identify you on a morgue slab after your carbon monixide induced death?

sharpee

Unfortunately we are new to the area so don't have any friends or family close by. Plus we both have a long commute to work (in opposite directions) so its not even possible to pop back for the inspection.

I don't feel it is too unreasonal to ask to rearrange the appointment for later on in the day. I will still have to leave work 3 hours early but it is the soonest I can get away.

I don't mind the LA letting them in, but they haven't offered yet. I think they have realised they have mess up as gas certificate expires sunday so its all a bit last minute.

tbs624

Yes, the LA should have checked with you before passing on your mobile number, as a matter of general courtesy and because access requests must be made to a T in writing

However, can you really not arrange to go into work half an hour late on Friday? Many self-employed plumbers, electricians etc do finish early on a Friday and only cover emergencies at weekends.

If you have a copy of the current Gas Safety Cert you too could have noted that it was due to expire shortly and, although the responsibility for getting the check done does lie strictly with the LL, you could perhaps have pre-empted things by calling the LA yourself to book a suitable day/time a fortnight in advance.

Many Ts would be only too happy that their LL got round to getting the gas safety check done. I think this one is a case of pick your battles - your LA does sound as though they work in a less than ideal way but these annual checks are important and so you perhaps need to look at further compromise, in the same way as if the property were your own and you needed a plumber/heating engineer to come out.
.

sharpee

I completely understand that the checks are in my best interest. However I start work at 8 and its an hours commute. I have arranged with work to have 3 hours off friday afternoon, unfortuantely the morning is not possible. And working in an Inductry where there are talks of laying people off its a bit difficult.

I stupidly assumed that the Gas check was done just prior to use moving in in January, not last April.

In future I will keep a check on what is due.

I have rung the LA to try and rearrange but still waiting for they to return my call.

Planner

Its so important that you get one done that you need to keep chasing that letting agent, please dont wait until the dine to call you back.

sharpee

I have chased them up and we have come to a mutually convient time. Reminder has already gone in my calander for next year with a 3 wk reminder.

Thanks for you help

clutton_2

i was refused entry by a tenant for 5 months after her gas safety certificate expired, we tried over and over and over different times and different gas men who she accused of stalking her etc etc finally she did a bunk and my gas man found a serious gas leak.... goodness knows what might have happened

i can appreciate OP is inconvenienced... but as a LL this really irritiates me when tenants find it too inconvenient to cooperate with LGSC

This is a landlords LEGAL DUTY and its YOUR LIFE at stake... get your priorities right......

if you have refused access and you are subsequently injured you could be liable for prosecution under the H&SAW acts

yummymummyofthree

its very difficult getting access sometimes especially in london as there are many smaller properties where the tenants are at work all day. we have many properties and have had such issues in the past. we no either instruct our letting agent to give keys to our gas engineer or we meet the gas engineer at our property and let him in. obviously this is done with tenants permission and not one has ever refused.

in any case, our engineer works evening, saturdays and sunday and charges a very fair rate too! tenants can be difficult sometimes but there's always a way around it- especially if you plan in advance.

Owain_Moneysaver

For me, one of the benefits of being a tenant is that the agents can sort out access for this sort of thing and I don't have to take time off work.

Obviously this is with my agreement each time.