Hi Dan,

Here in Exeter for our PSL and EXtraLet properties we do complete gas safety checks on all void properties as well as the annual checks. The cost of your safety checks are a lot more reasonable than what we are paying!

Claire

Hi Dan

            In a previous life I was a building maintenance manager for an RSL, and our voids procedure included a full gas, electricity, water and smoke alarm checks with certification on all properties prior to re-letting.

This policy was formulated following a legal case involving a large RSL whereby a new female tenant and her 17 year old son moved into a flat.  They switched the gas on whilst moving in and switched the heating on.

Unfortunately, what they didn't know was that the previous tenant had removed their gas cooker when they moved out, did not cap the cooker point (as they probably didn't have a blanking plate), and switched the gas off at the meter to prevent gas spillage.

Upon smelling the gas, the tenant went to the housing office to report gas smell, leaving her son in situ, who unfortunately decided to have a cigarette and caused an explosion injuring himself and damaging the property.  As far as I can recall, the RSL was found liable as it was considered that the situation was considered preventable (via a gas safety check), and they should have ensured that the property was sufficiently safe for the tenant to move in.

In the past and since instigating this policy, I have come accross issues relating to nails and picture hooks puncturing both gas pipes and electricity cables, and one case in an outhouse containing a horizontal gas pipe was used as a tool rack and was supporting gardening tools by sliding behind / hanging thereon.  This caused the pipe to fracture and leak gas.  We also found a plastic 1 gallon container full of petrol in the boiler cupboard!

Electrically, I have known tenants remove their own lighting that they had previously fitted, without refitting the original, leaving bare live wires. In another case someone had drilled through a window frame to route an electrical cable to an outside light that was powered by plugging into a socket in the kitchen.  When they moved out, they unplugged the light, physically cut the cable to remove their light, and simply left the bare wires with plug on.  Imagine the scenario - new people move in, see plug / flex in kitchen but don't necessarily know what it does...plug it in...and kids playing in garden see loose flex......pick it up etc etc

Some local authorities with older style gas warm air heating systems are having them safety checked every six months as they were considered to be at greater risk from CO spillage.

All I can say is that the minimum standard of any any service is 'health and safety' and the gas safety regulations also recommend that each tenant be given a copy of the operating instructions for each appliance to ensure that they are able to operate it correctly.  In a perfect world, tenants would leave these in situ for the next tenant, but in reality, these tend to go missing leaving another task - to keep a library of all appliance instructions.

My apologies for going on, but this area has become a subject in itself, although I hope this hepls and I haven't daunted you too much!

regards,

              Mick Hooson