If you are putting a property on the market, you may ask: do I need a gas safety check to sell my house? Find out more about arranging for a gas safety check on your house.

Do I Need A Gas Safety Check To Sell My House?

Moving house can be stressful, full of many costs and sleepless nights. If you find yourself selling a house, you can save yourself time and money by getting a gas safety check completed as soon as possible.

Across the UK, different rules apply depending on your housing type and market. Keep reading this article if you're unsure about whether you need a gas safety check or not.

Gas Safety when Buying or Selling A Home

Ensuring that all gas safety checks are completed and receiving a gas boiler safety certificate when moving into a new property can help alleviate stress. Moving out or into a new property is stressful enough, let alone when it's a house without a gas safety certificate.
There are many risks to your home and family when carbon monoxide poisoning and gas leaks are present.

Fires and explosions have happened after families have purchased new homes, all because no gas safety was implemented, putting many people in dangerous situations.
When moving out of a property, you can secure the site by conducting an inspection. Your property's purchase price and appeal can also increase with updated certificates and modern heating and boiler systems.

Gas Safety Engineers are the only people who can supply gas safety certificates and inspect gas appliances safely on your property. If you're unsure of whether you need to contact a gas engineer or not for your property, keep reading this article.

Why Should I Hire a Gas Safe Engineer?

Are Gas Safety Certificates Required To Sell My Home?

There are no legal requirements in place, meaning you must have a gas safety certificate to sell your house. Each year, many properties are sold without one, but you are putting yourself, other tenants and your family at risk if you do not have one.

Furthermore, The Building Regulations of England and Wales outline that all local authorities must be noticed when new gas appliances are installed. This must also be done when moving out, and a Building Regulations Compliance Certificate will be issued and given to the new owners.
This does differ from gas safety records, though. Building Regulations Compliance Certificates are issued to say that any building work is safe and you are complying with regulations. If you are a landlord, you are required by law to have a gas safety certificate issued before new tenants move in.

Getting this issued will require a small fee, but you will not miss out on a vital sale by having it. The price will vary depending on where you are in the country, but sellers will find moving through the moving house process much easier with the completed paperwork and certificates. Many buyers seek the advice of consulting the previous owner or, in the case of tenants looking for a rented property, ensuring the landlord has performed a test recently.

What is a gas safety certificate?

A gas safety test is an essential test for UK accommodation with gas appliances. It provides details on the inner workings of the gas appliances on your property. When you provide prospective buyers with this certificate, you prove yourself trustworthy, and the property is safe. When you do this, it can lead to a quicker sale in some cases.

UK laws dictate that landlords are required to perform a Gas Safety Certificate at all rental properties. They are also called landlords' gas safety checks due to this.
The Gas Safety Regulations 1998 provides landlords with the legal responsibility to ensure all carbon monoxide detectors, boilers, flues and appliances that burn gas are kept safe for use and maintained well. All safety certificates are regulated by these Gas Safety Regulations.

You should also have a boiler installation certificate at your property, proving safe installation of a boiler. A boiler installed by a certified gas safe engineer is the only way to receive a valid installation certificate. This is authorised by the Gas Safety Register and proves boiler safety at your property for yourself and future tenants.

When this certificate has been handed to you and the inspection done to completion, you are safe for a year (unless gas issues arise). When you notice a gas leak, boilers being less responsive and efficient, cold radiators etc., you should contact an engineer for an inspection, despite your annual one being conducted.

When do I need a gas safety certificate?

Getting a health and safety executive to complete a gas safety inspection on an annual basis is typically sufficient. Homeowners are not required by law to complete a survey, but landlords are held by the law to achieve this annually.
If you plan to move property, check with the previous owners that annual gas safety inspections have been carried out and there is no leaking carbon monoxide. The same goes for moving out of a property, as you need a gas safety check before the new owners can move in.

Landlords are required by law to get their gas systems checked annually by a member of a company recognised gas engineer. Doing so ensures the safety of the tenants and future tenants in that property. Their responsibilities are legally binding and cannot be ignored under any circumstances.

Regardless, the point is to carry out checks at your business or home whenever you notice heating or gas problems with appliances. If your boiler is not performing well or your gas cooker is making strange noises, it could be worth getting an inspection done.

Why keep an updated gas safety certificate?

Despite gas safety regulations telling you that you should regularly perform safety checks and check faulty appliances, there are some health and safety reasons too. Accidents can easily happen when your pipework is not controlled and maintained.

Gas Leaks

Gas leaks are a serious threat to your own safety and can quickly lead to an explosion or fire. A registered gas engineer performs this crucial inspection on your gas boiler, pipework and flues, ensuring there are no leaks.

Additionally, a tightness test will be required if you wish to sell a house to prospective buyers. With a gas safety certificate issued, you will have peace of mind your home has safe appliances, and you will find selling houses much more manageable. If gas floods into the air, major health problems can start occurring.

Carbon monoxide poisoning

Registered gas safety engineers will also check for carbon monoxide poisoning and leaks in your pipes. You cannot see, smell or taste carbon monoxide, making it impossible to notice when there's a leak present.

You are under no legal requirement to complete a carbon monoxide test, but if you wish to sell your house, you should ensure that proper inspections have been done.
You can install carbon monoxide detectors across your home, as the annual gas safety check may not cover you in time. After several years, homeowners may require new ones, so an engineer should check these too.