Landlords Responsibilities re LPG Gas Tank

riversidebooks

We have been paying a maintenance charge on a Calor Gas outside storage tank at our rented property but now think that this should be the landlord's responsibility. What advice please?

G_M

From Gassafe;
If you let a property, you must make sure that pipe work, appliances and flues provided for tenants are maintained in a safe condition. You need to have a gas safety check every year"

Whether the tank is 'a pipe' or 'an appliance' I'm not sure.

I would contact GasSafe and ask.

Or the http://www.uklpg.org/contact-us/

You could also pose your question on the LPG heating oil forum - there are some gassafe engineers there who would know.

chris_m

Presumably the tank was there when you moved in and is the only gas supply for cooking/heating? In that case, surely it's the LLs responsibility - just the same as the heating is?

A tenant should be responsible for having the tank replenished when needed, just the same as if they had mains gas they would be responsible for the bills for supply, but not (IMO) the tank itself, just the same as they wouldn't be responsible for the mains gas feed pipework.

tbs624

HSE say that LLs responsibility for LPG appliances is the same as for natural gas. As chris_m suggests, the maintenance of the actual tank should be down to the LL - the T merely pays for the gas itself.

You could seek clarification direct with HSE.

clutton_2

i think it should be the LLs responsibility also.. but did you sign the tenancy agreement which included this charge being your responsibility - if you did then you are stuck with it.. as the time to have challenged it was before the tenancy started.

tbs624

clutton wrote: »

i think it should be the LLs responsibility also.. but did you sign the tenancy agreement which included this charge being your responsibility - if you did then you are stuck with it.. as the time to have challenged it was before the tenancy started.

It matters not what the tenancy agreement says, if the HSE confirms that the maintenance for which the fee is being charged *is* the LL's responsibility: a charge levied against the T would clearly be an unfair contract term

martindow

I think LPG tanks belong to the company delivering the gas, so could it be argued that the maintenance charge is related to the gas and thus T's responsibility?