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Landlord Gas Safety Certificates in Durham

Renting out a house in Gilesgate, a flat on Claypath or a shared house at Neville's Cross? Every gas appliance in it needs a safety check by a Gas Safe registered engineer every twelve months. We do the check, email the record and can service the boiler while we are there.

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Gas safety record emailed to you, usually the same day
Student lets, HMOs and family homes across DH1, DH6 and DH7
Access arranged with your tenants or your letting agent
From £11.99/month per property
Gas Safe engineer completing a landlord gas safety record in a Durham rental

What the law asks of a Durham landlord

The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 put the duty on you. Every gas appliance, fitting and flue in the property has to be checked once a year by a Gas Safe registered engineer. Your tenants must get a copy of the record within 28 days of the check, anyone moving in must get a copy before they move in, and you must keep the records for at least two years. Fall short and you can face fines and prosecution.

In a Durham student house the check normally covers the boiler and the cooker or hob, and sometimes a gas fire left in an older terrace. Each appliance and each flue is tested and recorded on the one document. We hold Gas Safe registration 634641 and have been doing these checks for Durham landlords since 2010.

Book a gas safety check
Engineer arranging access to a student house in Durham for a gas safety check

Access, agents and the summer changeover

Student tenancies in Durham tend to turn over in one go, and most landlords want the gas check done while the house is empty or just before the new tenants arrive. That squeezes a lot of checks into a few weeks. Book early and we can slot your properties into one run rather than fitting them in around the rush.

If tenants are still in place we can contact them directly to agree a time, or work through your letting agent if that is how you prefer to run things. Agents with a portfolio across the city can send us a list and we will work through it, sending each record back as it is done.

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What happens on the visit, and after it

What we check

The engineer looks at every gas appliance in the property, not just the boiler. For each one we check the gas rate and burner pressure, the flue and how the products of combustion clear, the ventilation to the room, the safety devices and the physical condition of the appliance. The pipework is tested for tightness from the meter through to each appliance, and the meter and emergency control are checked. Each result goes on the record along with anything that needs attention.

If an appliance fails

Now and then something does not pass. It might be a cooker hose that has perished in a busy student kitchen, a fire in an old chimney that spills fumes, or a boiler with a flue problem. When that happens we explain to you what we found and what the regulations require us to do about it. Depending on how serious the fault is, that can mean turning the appliance off, putting a warning label on it and asking the tenants not to use it until it has been repaired. The failure is written on the record. We then price the repair, and once it is done we retest so the property has a clean record.

Boiler service in the same visit

A gas safety check proves the boiler is safe. It does not clean it or stop it breaking down in November. A service does, and it keeps the manufacturer's warranty valid. Booking the service alongside the safety check means one visit instead of two, one set of access arrangements with the tenants, and the boiler is opened up while an engineer is already there. Our servicing is from £80 + VAT and is explained on the boiler servicing page.

Gas fires in older Durham houses

Some of the older terraces in Gilesgate and around the Viaduct still have a gas fire in the front room. It counts as an appliance and has to be on the record. If it is never used, it can be safer and cheaper to have it disconnected and capped rather than tested every year. We can do either. See the gas fire service page for what the check involves.

Booking

Ring 0191 540 2051 or send the form with the address, the number of gas appliances and whether the house is empty or let. We confirm the price before we come, and the record is emailed to you when the visit is finished, usually the same day.

Where in Durham we cover

Durham is about 7 miles from our base in Houghton le Spring, so we are in the city most weeks. We cover DH1, DH6 and DH7: the city centre, Claypath, Gilesgate, the streets around the Viaduct, Neville's Cross, Framwellgate Moor, Newton Hall, Pity Me and Belmont, and the villages of Brandon, Meadowfield, Ushaw Moor, Bearpark, Sherburn and Bowburn.

Somewhere near that is not named? Call 0191 540 2051 and we will tell you.

Durham landlord gas safety questions

Student houses, HMOs, timing and what happens if something fails.

When is the best time to book the gas check for a Durham student house? +
Most landlords book it for the summer changeover, while the house is empty or just before the new tenants move in. New tenants must have a copy of the record before they move in, so that timing works well. It is our busiest period, so book as early as you can and we can group your houses into one run.
Is the check any different for an HMO in Gilesgate or Neville's Cross? +
The gas check itself is the same: every appliance and flue, every twelve months. A shared house usually has more appliances in heavier use, so cooker hoses and ventilation get close attention. The council can ask to see the record for a licensed HMO.
Can you work through my letting agent rather than me? +
Yes. Plenty of Durham agents send us a list of addresses and we arrange access, do the checks and send each record back to the agent as it is completed. You still get a copy if you want one.
What does a landlord gas safety check cover? +
Every gas appliance, fitting and flue in the property. For each appliance we check gas rate, burner pressure, flue performance, ventilation, safety devices and condition, and we test the pipework from the meter for tightness. Everything goes on the one record.
What happens if an appliance fails the check? +
We explain what we found and what the regulations require. Depending on the fault, the appliance may be turned off and labelled so the tenants do not use it. The failure is noted on the record, we price the repair, and we retest once it is fixed.
Can you service the boiler at the same time? +
Yes, and we recommend it. A safety check proves the boiler is safe; a service cleans it, catches wear and keeps the warranty valid. Servicing is from £80 + VAT and doing both in one visit saves a second access arrangement.
How soon do I get the certificate? +
We email the record to you once the visit is finished, usually the same day. Give a copy to your tenants within 28 days and keep it for at least two years.
There is an old gas fire in the house that nobody uses. Does it still need checking? +
Yes, while it is connected it is an appliance on the record. If it is never used, disconnecting and capping it is often the sensible choice, and we can do that on the same visit.

Related pages for Durham landlords

Our main landlord gas safety certificate page covers how we work with landlords across the North East. For the detail behind the rules, read our posts on the landlord gas safety certificate and the landlord winter gas safety checklist.

Our other services in Durham

Related services

Anything else, ring 0191 540 2051.

✓ Send us the address and how many appliances there are, and we will come back with a price for your Durham let. No obligation. Get a call back now
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