Looking to buy a flat - survey > gas meter access > whose responsibility?

Ankku

Hello - I recently had a survey done to a flat I'm looking to buy, but they surveyor couldn't access the gas meters. The real estate agent doesn't have a key for the meters, and advised to contact the management company. I have contacted the management company, the advised a standard FB2 key should work. So I bought one and tried to access the meters, but FB2 key didnt work for the lock. 

I'm a bit frustrated, and think it should be the real estate agents responsibility to sort this out for me. Am I wrong, whose responsibility is this? 

badger09

Why do you/your surveyor need access to the gas meter?

silvercar

I would think it is the managing agent’s responsibility. If the only way of turning off the gas to the property is by a lever adjacent to the meter then it’s a health and safety issue.

Ankku

Thanks for your reply! The surveyors comment is: "we could not locate the gas meter, and without specialist examinations of the system we are unable to comment the quality or safety". Therefore flagged section "gas/oil" as "red". 

Is it not typical  that a surveyor wants to access gas meters? Is it typically enough that gas inspection certificates are shown?
I think I need to access the meters when I do gas readings in the future?

propertyrental

It is for the seller, via his estate agent and the management company, to provide access for your surveyor, assuming he wants to facilitate that access.

He might of course not care or not bother. You will then have to decide whether the lack of access, and hence limitation in what your surveyor can see, is significant enough for you to withdraw your offer, renegotiate the price, or just accept the status quo.

But frankly, a surveyor is not a gas specialist so won't tell you much anyway just by looking at the meter....

Robin9

It should not be a problem should you decide to purchase but may well give you an insight into how the management company manages things.

Marvel1

If no-one can access the basics, i wouldn't bother as thinking issues of meter reading day 1, and any other issues that may occur.

user1977

Ankku said:

Thanks for your reply! The surveyors comment is: "we could not locate the gas meter, and without specialist examinations of the system we are unable to comment the quality or safety". Therefore flagged section "gas/oil" as "red". 

Even if the surveyor can access the meters, it's normal for them to recommend specialists check out the electrics and gas - they're going to say very little of use unless there are things obviously broken etc. It's not necessary for buyers to get/show you inspection certificates for the gas or electrics, though they might have them.

It's ultimately up to the seller to arrange access for anything you want to inspect. There's no rule that they need to, but then again you don't need to buy the flat...

macman

A survey would not inspect the gas meter anyway, as a surveyor is not an RGI and has no qualifications to examine such an install. The same would apply to the gas boiler, gas fire or gas hob within the property, which they presumably could access. 
A gas safety certificate is not required for a house sale with vacant possession either-only if the house is let to tenants, and forms no part of a survey.
Ditto the electrical systems or plumbing: they are all specialist systems beyond a building surveyor's expertise, apart from what he can visually determine.
As you refer to a 'real estate agent', is this property in the US or the UK?