Gas leak in new property

Selenafk

So, today my fiance and I (first time buyers) got the keys to our very first house - exciting times. Only to discover whilst cleaning the kitchen cupboards that there was a gas leak coming from one of the pipes in the cupboard supplying the hob.

We immediately turned off the gas and called the emergency gas service. An engineer was able to identify that the valve on the pipe was the cause of the leak, capped the pipe and made the house safe again.

Upon calling the estate agent, they informed us that they had paid for a repair on a gas leak at the end of the last tenancy (just before we put in our offer to buy the house). So obviously the problem lies with this so called 'repair'.

The estate agent hasn't been the most helpful, telling me that I need to arrange for the company who did the repair to come out and look at it. My question is though, is it really my responsibility or should I insist that the EA arranges and pays for the repair because the repair was originally authorised by them and they have technically sold us an unsafe house.

Some advice would be appreciated please before I confront the EA about this tomorrow, I'm not quite sure where I stand in this matter.

zzzLazyDaisy

First rule of house buying - 'buyer beware'.

The estate agent presumably wasn't the seller, but the agent for the seller, so you had no contractual relationship with the EA.

Leaving that point aside - as the buyer it is for you to satisfy yourself that everything is in working order before you sign on the dotted line.

Welcome to the world of home ownership. It is your house, your pipe, your responsibility.

Selenafk

But surely if they paid for a repair which wasn't done properly and as such left the house with a gas leak for 2 months - isn't that their responsibility? Not to mention the possible implications for the neighbours (terraced house).

zzzLazyDaisy

Selenafk wrote: »

But surely if they paid for a repair which wasn't done properly and as such left the house with a gas leak for 2 months - isn't that their responsibility? Not to mention the possible implications for the neighbours (terraced house).

Whatever their responsibility may or may not have been before the house was sold is irrelevant. In any case the responsibility would not have been to you but towards the (then) owner of the house. When you bought the house it was YOUR responsibility to check that the pipework, electrics etc were in working order. Okay lots of people don't employ someone to do these checks, but that is their decision. If you did pay someone to carry oput a check of the gas boiler, pipework etc and they failed to spot this leak then you MAY have a claim against that person (though even then whose to say whether the pipe sprung a leak after it was checked).

Bottom line - This is your house now and the pipe is your responsibility.

C_Mababejive

No..this has nothing to do with the EA.

There is no point in pursuing the repairer as his contract was with the previous owners and in any case,he could reasonably argue that he did indeed repair the escape. Just have it repaired and thats the end of it. Perhaps you could have dropped £20 into the gasmans toolbag and the problem would have disappeared?

macman

As above. Any pre-existing defects in the property are now your responsibility as owners. You could take a civil action against the previous owners for not disclosing the fault, or maybe for negligence, but with no guarantee of success, and given the minimal cost involved here, it simply wouldn't be worth it.
You will doubtless over the next few weeks discover other faults that you didn't spot before exchanging-welcome to the joys of property ownership!

jalexa

Selenafk wrote: »

and as such left the house with a gas leak for 2 months -

I don't believe the pipe was "leaking" for 2 months or the smell would surely have been detected. A test on a "non-leaking" pipe would not have detected a leak.

You said it was from a valve. *Possibly* the "leak" began when you disturbed the pipe or turned the valve. That is not to apportion blame or to excuse what might be a shoddy piece of work.

Can you further post where on the valve the leak occurred from. Maybe the valve is not suitable for gas? As others have suggested get your own gas fitter in pronto and put this down to experience.

BTW, well done for your original seeking of emergency attendance (and welcome to the forum).

Selenafk

The leak is coming from the valve which connects to the gas hob. I opened the cupboard next to the cooker and there was a strong smell of gas, the smell is not present when the cupboard is closed and I have not "disturbed" anything - just opened the cupboard door to where the pipe goes through.

The previous tenants (it was a rented property) had the leak 'fixed' by a local company after their tenancy finished. The leak has likely been there since because the repair hasn't been checked and the property has been empty since.

I am having the company who carried out the repair come out and repair it again today.

macman

But presumably the gas supply was turned off at the mains while the property was unoccupied?

Selenafk

No it was left on "to stop the pipes from bursting". I did question the EA about that.

jalexa

Selenafk wrote: »

I am having the company who carried out the repair come out and repair it again today.

I don't disbelieve what you say but it is inexplicable that a GasSafe registered fitter could fail to repair the fault you describe.