Average cost for gas safety cert & advice re electricity regs

travel_freak

Hi there,

Please could someone help with the following queries:

How much on average should I expect to pay for a gas safety certificate as the landlord of a 2 bedroom flat?

What does the gas safety cert actually cover - is it just gas central heating or, for example, will it also cover a gas oven?

What are the requirements re an electricity safety certificate? I read somewhere that you need one "per appliance", but not sure whether this actually means that you have to have someone check out not only the mains wiring etc, but also each and every appliance, e.g. fridge, washing machine, oven etc., etc.

If anyone could advise or refer me to a useful source for this type of info. I'd be really grateful.

Thanks in advance.

Regards,

plane_boy2000

Re the gas - last time I paid for a cert it was about £70 and they do test anything gas, but you can get the homecare package from british gas which is like a service plan for the heating / plumbing etc, but for landlords they alo do the gas safety cert - about £25 a month including cover for plumbing / drains etc.

lilyann1

We are moving to a house that says in the survey get electrical survey and gas survey done.The owners have already told us the electrics haven't been updated since the 1980's so we may need to get some rewiring done or updated
My Ea told me she could recommend both an electrician and gas inspector who could visit and give safety certificates for around £75 each.She didn't mention it was for individual appliances,just told me he'd do safety inspection of whole house

clutton_2

the gas safety cert is legally compulsory, and must include ALL gas appliances which are installed in the house - cooker, oven, hob, boiler, fires. Some gas engineers charge per appliance, some charge per house. I pay £55 for all my gas certs regardless of how many appliances i have. The electrics are slightly different i do not believe that you have to have a certificate by law, but, you have a "duty of care" to your tenants, and how can you provide good care if your electrics are not checked by a NICCEI electrician ? For peace of mind, i always get mine checked when buying a new house. Many older properties will still comply, and you may just need a new trip switch (RCD) or a new consumer unit.

in terms of electrical appliances (hoover, fridge etc) - i do not provide any for two reasons - folks who come with ALL their own furniture, are marginally less likely to "do a flit", and if i supply hoovers etc i then have to have them checked. i have never been asked to supply white goods.

travel_freak

Thanks everyone for your helpful replies. Clutton, I think you are right, perhaps the fewer electrical items I provide the better. I agree with your advice about the electrics it would be difficult to show you had exercised a duty of care if you've just bought a place and have no experience of the electrics and what "DIY" work may have been done by previous owners so I think it will be worth the peace of mind to have the NICEIC test you suggest.

Thanks again.

Regards

david29dpo

for my BTL, the gas check cost £40. electric not needed.

silvercar

david29dpo wrote:

for my BTL, the gas check cost £40. electric not needed.

My gas check was £90. For boiler, gas heater and hob. I am inside M25 so that probably makes a difference.

Told not to bother with electric check as no appliances with removal plugs.

clutton_2

i once bought a house where the electrics looked absolutely fine to me, recent wiring, good quality sockets, tidy installation - but my gut instinct got my electrician in, and many of the plugs were wired back to front !!!! - i later discovered that the previous owner was a bit of a DIY guy.

for me, having electrics checked is about tenant safety, as well as peace of mind - dont want any deaths on my conscience - after all, these folks are looking after my investment.

jen_jen_2

i think there is an electrical safety requirement by law. its every 5 years for the house wiring.

Electrical Safety Regulations
The Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994
The Plugs & Sockets etc (Safety) Regulations 1994

These regulations define a landlord as a supplier of electrical equipment such as plugs, sockets, adaptors, fuses, appliances, etc intended for domestic use. These regulations impose an obligation on landlords to ensure that all electrical appliances are safe and we strongly recommend that a safety check is carried out by a qualified electrician. The Landlord hereby warrants to the Agent that all electrical items are safe & that he agrees to undertake the responsibilities for the safety checks in accordance with the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994.

dougk_2

jen_jen wrote:

i think there is an electrical safety requirement by law. its every 5 years for the house wiring.

There is in fact no set time period. All the landlord has to do is ensure that the electrical system including appliances is safe. Most agencies recommend you have equipment PAT tested as with any other business / office. So every year or two years depending on the policy employed.

Good practice says the wiring should be checked periodically which is generally agreed by the various parties as every 10 years (well this is what was recommended after having new wriring installed by Southern Electric), but there is currently no legal requirement to do so.

clutton_2

Aha !! is this another one to be added on to the 69 different acts of parliament that landlords have to comply with !!!