As of April this year, new regulations have been introduced that allow landlords to arrange their annual gas safety check up to two months in advance without impacting on the expiry date of the existing certificate. You can now arrange a new check any time within 10-12 months of the last one – and when the old certificate runs out, the new one will simply run for the next year.
If for any reason you need to carry out a gas safety check less than 10 months (or more than 12 months) after the last one, the expiry date will be a year from when your new certificate is issued. It’s worth noting that landlords who make use of the new rules must keep their gas safety records until two further gas safety checks have been carried out.
This new ‘MOT-style’ approach allows landlords to arrange a new check in plenty of time before the old one expires (without shortening its lifespan) – instead of rushing to book a visit from a Gas Safe engineer just before the deadline. It also makes it easier to keep track of renewal dates, as these stay the same each year.
Because of this, the new 2018 rules have been welcomed by landlords. They’re a way to uphold the very highest gas safety standards – whilst making the checks process more flexible and straightforward all round.
SOURCE: Estateagentnews.co.uk