Safety checks for new cooker

Landlord Discussion
1

Hi.

Am replacing a gas cooker with another gas cooker…

Is there a checklist to make sure the area is totally safe. This was purchased from a large store and ive paid for installation but I know someone who bought a cooker only to have the store refuse to install as I think there was something about lack of ventilation/splashplate etc.

Are there some basic things to look out for before they install the new cooker (i wont be there, so really want to trap any issues asap). I will ask the vendor when they open,but any advice here would be welcome.

There is currently no splashplate.

Thanks,

2

If you speak to a gas engineer you will get the best advice or google gas safe page and look up hob regulations
I can’t remember the regs but it does have to be certain distance away from a window opening

If you speak to kitchen fitters they advise 300 mm worksurface either side for pan handles for fitted hob
Chimney hood should be 750mm above
They will also leave up to 50 mm either side of base and wall units for oven and hob respectively
The wall units also have a distance away from the hob

Gas and kitchen fitters have a different perspective

If you google your question you will get the most accurate information from gas safe and howdens

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3

Thanks very much for that !

4

I believe that following a recent court case, you are now required to have a fresh Gas Safety Cert and serve it on the tenant.

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5

Which case is this ?

6

electric sockets have to be a certain distance from a hob , but I have forgotten the measurement

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7

300mm just googled it
I just had to move a socket for that reason

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8

Its Van-Herpen v Green & Green (2023). This is a County Court case and concerned the installation of a boiler, but the regulation the judge referred to talks about any gas burning device.

I believe the landlord would be required to give a copy of either a GSC or a Building Regulations Compliance Certificate to the tenants following the installation.

If this were not done, its possible that a tenant could argue that any subsequent s21 notice was invalid. They may not win that argument, but its probably not worth the risk.

9

But, as with any normal gas check, isn’t it the responsibility of the gas engineer to give a copy of the GSC to the tenant? Typically because they do this for routine gas certs, I don’t usually pass a copy to my tenants either in person or electronically. Should I?

10

I personally serve by email or via Openrent uploaded documents, a copy of the gas safety inspection each year, and building regs certificate when relevant for new boiler. I know a copy should have been left at site, but this way, I know & can prove it has been provided.

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11

My gas engineer has been a bit variable over the years. Sometimes he’s left a copy of the cert at the property, sometimes not. The point is, you need evidence of service if you ever need to use s21.

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12

For each and every S21 or only the one that is valid when the tenancy starts (whether SPT or AST)?

13

It just struck me that evidence of service is right there on the gas safety certificate if it’s signed by the tenant which it almost always is in my tenancies.

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14

Well thats evidence that theyve seen it and signed it, but not that theyve been given a copy.

15

Fair enough.

and this?

16

If you dont have evidence of service then the tenant could claim you never gave it. My understanding is that judges are mainly interested in the first and most recent certificate, but the court paperwork asks for each and judges can check it.

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