Landlord gas safety checks in Reading
Most rented homes in Reading are heated by mains gas, so the annual gas safety check is the one compliance date nearly every Reading landlord shares.
What is different in Reading
Reading Borough Council's private sector housing team deals with complaints about rented homes in the borough, and the Health and Safety Executive enforces the gas safety regulations themselves. A tenant who cannot get a copy of the gas safety record can raise it with either.
Older terraces and converted houses across the town often have boilers and flues that have been moved or replaced more than once, sometimes with flues running through a neighbouring flat or a loft. The annual check covers each appliance and flue you provide, so make sure the engineer can reach all of them, not only the boiler in the kitchen.
In a shared house, each tenant on a separate agreement is entitled to a copy of the record within 28 days of the check. Pinning one copy in the hallway is not a substitute for giving each tenant their own.
Local housing authority: Reading Borough Council (opens in a new tab)
The rule, in brief
Under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, a landlord must keep the gas pipework, appliances and flues they provide in a safe condition and have each appliance and flue checked every 12 months by a Gas Safe registered engineer. Keep the record of each check for two years. Give a copy to existing tenants within 28 days of the check, and to new tenants before they move in.
Source: HSE (opens in a new tab) / Gas Safe Register (opens in a new tab)
Gas safety for landlords — the full answerQuestions from Reading landlords
- Who do Reading tenants contact if there is no gas safety record?
- They can ask the landlord first, then contact Reading Borough Council's private housing team or report it to the Health and Safety Executive.
General information for England, not legal advice. Check the source and your council before relying on it for a particular property.