11 Sep 2012
An “alarming” number of private rental landlords in the UK are not providing tenants with an assurance concerning the safety of their gas appliances, according to new research.
Landlords are required by law to ensure occupants are given an up-to-date gas safety record, yet a poll for Gas Safe Register found that only half of tenants received one when they moved in.
Of these tenants, 75% were left without a valid record for their entire tenancy.
“What we are seeing is both an alarming number of landlords who are failing to comply with the law and tenants who do not realise it is their legal right to see a valid gas safety record,” commented Paul Johnston, chief executive of Gas Safe Register.
“Faulty gas appliances can lead to CO poisoning, which can kill quickly, and it is therefore imperative that landlords take their responsibilities to keep tenants safe seriously.”
Landlords are being reminded of their responsibility and tenants are being encouraged to ask for a copy of this important document as part of Gas Safety Week. Running until September 16, this scheme aims to help protect occupants against the dangers of faulty gas appliances.
Headaches, dizziness, nausea, breathlessness, collapse and loss of consciousness are all symptoms of exposure to CO, which can pose a serious risk to a person’s health.
Copyright Press Association 2012