Gas and electrical safety
It's our legal duty as your landlord to ensure the home you rent is safe before your tenancy begins and for as long as it lasts.
Here's what we do to keep you safe and what you can do to help.
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Gas
What we do
- Ensure the gas installation is safe when the home is first let to you by carrying out a full landlord gas safety inspection before you move in.
- Inspect the gas installation every year. We will issue you with a gas safety certificate by email or post after the inspection is complete. From 14 December 2020 the certificates issued will look slightly different. Nothing has changed with the safety check, but you will notice the certificate has a different format.
- Maintain and upgrade the gas installation whenever necessary.
- Keep records of our inspections and any work we do so we know when it's time to inspect again.
- Provide carbon monoxide detectors in homes that are heated by gas or solid fuel.
- Regularly monitor our skilled engineers' technical expertise using expert external consultants, PCM.
What you should do
- Always report gas leaks. If you think you have a gas leak or can smell gas, leave the house and phone 0800 111 999 National Gas Emergencies immediately.
- Always make sure you keep your appointments with us for gas repairs, the annual gas inspection, CO investigations and with our expert external consultant PCM.
- Always report any problems with your heating, hot water or pipework to us straightaway so we can arrange to repair it.
- Always turn off the gas supply when your CO detector sounds continuously, and ventilate your home by opening windows. Then tell us and we will come and investigate.
- Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions and keep gas oven burners and gas hob burners clean so they burn gas efficiently.
- Never use a damaged gas appliance – it could create dangerous carbon monoxide or cause a fire.
- Never interfere with the gas fixtures or systems.
- Never store items on top of gas cookers or hobs – this could start a fire.
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Electrical
What we do
- Ensure the electrical installation is safe when the home is first let to you by carrying out a full inspection of all the electrical fittings before you move in.
- Inspect the electrical fittings from time to time.
- Maintain and upgrade the electrical system whenever necessary.
- Keep records of our inspections and any work we do so we know when it's time to inspect again.
- Comply with Part P of the Building Regulations for electrical installation work done by our contractors.
- Carry out regular Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) to the appliances we own.
What you should do
- Always report any problems with your fixed electrical system to us straightaway so we can arrange to repair it.
- Always ensure you follow the manufacturer's instructions for your electrical appliances – always use the right sized fuse in the plug.
- Always get our permission before making any changes to the electrical installation – we won’t unnecessarily withhold permission but will require that you use a qualified electrician and comply with Building Regulations.
- Always put safety caps on unused electrical outlets.
- Always keep your appointments with us when we come to do repairs or periodic inspections of the electrical installation.
- Never use an appliance with a frayed electrical lead.
- Never use a damaged electrical appliance – it can give you an electric shock or cause a fire.
- Never overload sockets.
- Avoid using trailing extension leads if possible and never cover them when in use.
- Never store items on top of electric cookers or hobs - this could start a fire.
- Never store items on top of microwave ovens as it can cause them to overheat and catch fire.
For advice about keeping safe from carbon monoxide visit the Gas Safe website
