As you might recall, in one of my recent blogs I talked about fire safety and, more specifically, about how important it is that landlords adhere to fire safety recommendations in order to prevent possible fire related deaths.
Well fire safety is not the only health and safety requirement landlords need to consider when preparing and maintaining their rental properties: gas safety is just as important and should any of your gas properties have a gas appliance, you will need to provide gas safety certificates for your tenants.
But is the provision of a gas safety certificate enough to reassure you and your tenants that the gas appliances in the property are safe?
It would not be unreasonable to assume that a brand new gas boiler, newly fitted, is bound to be safe from the risk of carbon monoxide leakage, but in one tragic case, a social housing tenant in London died of carbon monoxide poisoning as a result of a faulty gas boiler in a new-build flat. Following the inquest into the death of the tenant, the coroner has since called for a change in legislation to try and prevent a similar tragedy from occurring.
Sadly this case is not an isolated event. Other similar tragedies have occurred in the past year because of faulty valves factory fitted on gas boilers, and because safety checks following installation of the appliance are not mandatory, these faults very often go unnoticed. So how can you protect your tenants?
The answer is simple—fit mains operated carbon monoxide detectors in your properties. They cost very little, but they can save lives.
