Landlords ‘putting tenants at risk’

Post by George on 23rd September 2011 in

A new report has warned that landlords could be putting their tenants’ lives in jeopardy by failing to ensure gas appliances are serviced regularly by qualified experts. 

According to the Guardian, 41 per cent of tenants questioned as part of a survey published this week by Gas Safe Register said their gas appliances had broken down on a number of occasions over the last five years. Landlords were reminded of their legal obligations to residents. 

“Lack of annual safety checks can create a life-threatening situation. Landlords are legally obliged to carry out checks and provide tenants with a gas safety check record to prove the work has been done,” said Gas Safe Register chief executive Paul Johnston. 

Spareroom.co.uk director Matt Hutchinson added that most landlords are simply unaware of their gas safety obligations rather than making a deliberate effort to avoid them. Recent Department of Health figures show that 50 people died from carbon monoxide poisoning over a 12-month spell. 

Last week, the Evening Standard revealed that a separate study from Gas Safe Register indicated that London is home to more rogue gas fitters than anywhere else in the UK, carrying out around 250,000 jobs annually.

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