Annual Gas Safety Check

Blarm

My son rents a house and has been sent reminder letters from British Gas that the annual gas safety check is due. He has organised for them to come on Friday and has taken a day off of work. He is a self employed joiner and so will loose a days pay.

This doesn't seem right to me. Surely it is the landlords responsibility to have the safety check completed and so he or his agent should be prepared to come round a wait for the inspector to arrive.

Does anyone know who is responsible for waiting in - the tenant or the landlord?

Dan-Dan

This could be done on a saturday

ognum

I think he needs to have a discussion with the landlord.

As a landlord I offer to wait at the house for tradesmen, however, some tenants want me to do it, others do not want me in their home when they are not in. I am fine with either and can understand both.

it's time to talk!

TexasChainstoreMascara

Should be the landlord arranging this. The gas safe cert should be in the landlords name, and the annual reminders sent to them.

Is it privately rented or is there a letting agent involved? I would think an agent would stay on top of this.

mr.pj

Dan-Dan wrote: »

This could be done on a saturday

Not unless British Gas allow the appointment to be booked on a saturday and unless they're quite they won't.

bap98189

Does he want the landlord entering his house while he is not there? Most people wouldn't. I would suggest he talks to the landlord and arranges it for an evening or weekend.

Dan-Dan

mr.pj wrote: »

Not unless British Gas allow the appointment to be booked on a saturday and unless they're quite they won't.

So ,err , it `can` be done on a saturday

abankerbutnotafatcat

Same as Ognum, I go down the route of asking T to arrange appointment times with tradespeople as it's their home but letting them know I or my representative (named on lease and known to Ts) can be there instead if they prefer that.

G_M

Taking this to extreme..

If tenant does not stay in, BG will not be able to do inspection and issue certificate.

Result? Landlord has broken the law by not arranging a certificate.

Talk to the LL!

Blarm

Thanks for all the replies.

He didn't ask about a Saturday as the certificate runs out on Friday. Did seem a bit short notice to me as he had been away since last Thurs and when he returned yesterday (Mon) there were 2 letters - one addressed with the landlord's name and the other I think just said 'The Tenant'. If he had been away for 2 weeks then the certificate would have run out before he saw the letters.

There is an agent involved as the landlord lives abroad. So I will get him to decide whether he wants the agent coming round and waiting for the engineer. If so, he can ring the agency.

In hindsight he should have checked the date on the certificate when he moved in last August rather than assuming it would be for a whole year. That way he would have known that it was due and spoken with the agent before he went away.

AlexMac

You have your reply- it's the LL who is liable and who cops the grief if undone... but as a small LL I treat my tenants right and they often co-operate by offering to be in at times which suit them, and never jib about me arranging access if they can't be there. And in my experience, British Gas are great at doing evening and weekend appointments; they;re more expensive that freelancer Gas Safe guys so they should be!