The law is very clear regarding the requirements from UK landlords when it talks about gas safety in a rented property. The law requires annual gas safety inspection to be undertaken by an approved CORGI registered engineer. According to the law, failure to comply with this requirement carries a fine of up to 5,000 and up to six months’ imprisonment.

The law requires the landlord to ensure the following:

* No open flue gas appliance is located in the same room where people are sleeping, a bathroom or a shower room.

* Repair, service or installation work related to gas appliances should be carried out by a Corgi registered operative.

* All fixed or mobile gas appliances within the property are maintained and their safety is inspected at least once every twelve months. The inspection must be carried out by a CORGI certified engineer.

* Any work done to any gas appliance in the property is then approved through a series of safety tests by a CORGI certified engineer.

*The tenants must have unrestricted access to all appropriate documentation for all gas appliances (such as manuals, safety notices, instructions and labels).

*A clear set of records is kept detailing the dates of safety inspections and any defects identified and respective work undertaken. The tenants must have access to a copy of these records within 28 days of the safety inspection or prior to new occupants moving into the property.

It is highly recommended for landlords to install carbon monoxide detection and alarm devices to protect the tenants or users of the property. Carbon monoxide is a lethal gas that occurs where there is an incomplete burning within the gas boiler, yielding a combination of a single molecule of oxygen with a single molecule or carbon. The gas, which has no odour or colour leads to breathing difficulties and sometimes to death. There are around 20 to 30 deaths in the UK every year as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning.

The law is very strict with landlords, forcing them to ensure all domestic boilers are checked and serviced every year. Such statutory requirement causes major headaches for large landlords and housing associations. These groups struggle with the administrative and logistical effort of providing access to the Corgi certified engineer to the property.

Analysing this industry shows that it can prove very difficult for a landlord of a large block of flats to arrange access to each property for the gas engineer. During normal hours, most flats are empty (while the tenants are at work), with very few tenants willing to stay at home and wait for the gas engineer to call in. As tenants are reluctant to take a paid leave to stay at home for such gas safety check, it is difficult for landlords to meet their legal requirements.

In extreme cases, a landlord has to resort to issuing an entry warrant into the property if the tenant fails to cooperate. Such cases are very regrettable as they are complicated and costly, due to the need for police to attend and additional making good costs (which can get to 500 per property).

Tal Potishman, editor of Heating Central, writes articles about boilers, central heating, plumber Blackburn, underfloor heating and solar thermal. He specializes in helping save money by advising on efficient heating.