Annual check
Every rented home with a gas supply has by law to have a full gas safety check carried out every year. There are no exceptions to this. Even if you do not use gas and your meter is "capped off" this still has to be checked by a qualified technician .
Our Gas Servicing Team will write to you and let you know when a gas engineer will call. If you wont be at home, phone us and well arrange another time. The checks will only take about an hour and there is no charge to you for this service.
Your safety
Not only is this a legal requirement for Eastlands Homes but it is important in terms of the safety of you and your family:-
- Gas appliances can be extremely dangerous if they are not in good working order.
- It is impossible to tell if a gas appliance is emitting carbon monoxide which can kill occupants of a home which has a defective gas appliance.
To further enhance safety Eastlands Homes is now also installing carbon monoxide detectors and testing smoke alarms free of charge as part of the annual gas servicing programme
Ease of access
The requirement to check all gas appliances means we have to get access into your home every year. We appreciate all those tenants who allow us access at the first appointment every year. A big thank you to all of you. We do our best to arrange appointments that are convenient for you including evenings and weekends.
Unfortunately, despite the risks to themselves, their family and visitors to their home, some residents do not help Eastlands Homes by allowing us access. We waste time and money following up cases where we have been unable to gain access. These resources would be better used elsewhere improving services to our customers.
Denying access leads to legal action
If you do not grant us access then ultimately you could lose your home. Eastlands Homes does not want to do this but if we cannot gain access then we may have to resort to asking the Courts to give us possession of the property.
We can also use injunctions against any resident who fails to give us access to their home. Injunctions come with the power to commit people to prison if access is still denied.
Any legal action is expensive and the costs are the responsibility of the tenant. Tenants have been charged over £1,000 for the costs of legal action just to allow a gas engineer an hour in their home .
Cookers in flats
If you move in to a flat and want a gas cooker fitted, you must ensure that the cooker has a flame failure device, otherwise the law states it cannot be installed. This device means that if a flame goes out then the gas will automatically be cut off.
If you have recently received a letter from our Gas Servicing Team please contact us urgently to arrange your annual gas safety check.
