Friday 27 April 2012
Guernsey's Health and Safety Executive has issued public clarification on the requirements for landlords of private properties, in relation to gas installation and equipment in their properties.
It has been suggested in recent media reports that landlords of private properties are not regulated as regards the standard of the gas installation and equipment in their properties and thus tenants are at risk particularly from Carbon Monoxide poisoning.
This is far from the reality of the situation.
The Health and Safety (Gas) (Guernsey) Ordinance, 2006 and its associated Approved Code of Practice, and in particular Section 36, places specific duties on landlords as regards the gas installation and equipment provided in their properties. Similarly, Section 3 requires that only competent persons are permitted to carry out any work on gas equipment or installations, the register of these persons being kept by the Gas Safe organisation in the same way as the UK.
To Summarise: Tenants of any rented accommodation, whether that is States, Housing Association or privately owned, are protected by the Gas Safety Law, which requires the same standard as that which is applicable anywhere in the UK.
Full copies of the Ordinance, ACOP and leaflet can be downloaded at: www.hse.guernsey.gg. The explanatory leaflet on the landlord duties which was circulated to letting agents and the Private Landlords Association at the time that the law was introduced in 2006, and is still relevant now.
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Contact information:
Health and Safety Executive
Tel: 01481 234567