Member Article

10% of homes “have no gas safety certificate"

A leading North East lettings agent has expressed concern at news 10% of privately rented homes do not have an up-to-date gas safety certificate.

Recently-released research by housing charity Shelter and British Gas found that 10% of renters have not had annual gas safety checks carried out on their homes – raising the risk of gas leaks, carbon monoxide poisoning and even explosions.

The figures also discovered that one in seven landlords are unaware that they have a legal responsibility to organise an annual gas safety check and certificate – even though landlords who fail to meet gas safety regulations face fines and even prison.

Ajay Jagota of North East lettings agents KIS Lettings, who manage properties for almost 700 landlords from branches in Sunderland, North Shields, South Shields and Welwyn Garden City described the issue as “a matter of life or death”.

He said: “Thankfully the number of people seriously hurt or worse as a result of negligence on the part of the owners of the property they rent appears to be negligible - but this could so easily be a matter of life or death, and tenants have a right to know their homes are safe.

“Property management is an incredibly complicated and time-consuming business, and my feeling is that the majority of landlords who have had not had gas safety checks carried out are not unconcerned or cavalier about the safety of their tenants but are either overwhelmed by or simply unaware of their responsibilities.

“As many as a third of landlords are now so-called ‘accidental landlords’, people who never wanted to rent out property but have been forced to do so by circumstances and who often find property management more complex than they anticipated.

“You don’t need any qualifications or training to become a landlord and that’s why if you are looking to rent property, it can be very sensible to do so through a reputable agency so can be sure all the necessary steps to make your home safe have been taken - and if you are looking to rent our property of your own, getting the right professional support can be crucial in helping you meet your legal and moral responsibilities.

“At KIS we’ve developed our own customised software to ensure things like gas safety checks can never be overlooked – something which gives our landlords and our tenants real peace of mind.”

Author: Ajay Jagota

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ajay Jagota .