Gas Servicing Injunctions

Under the Gas (Installation & Use) Regulations 1998, all social housing landlords of premises which are occupied for residential purposes under either a licence, tenancy agreement for a set term or a lease as defined by the Regulations are required to:

• Ensure gas fittings and flues are in safe condition
• Perform annual safety checks on gas appliances and flues
• Have all installation, maintenance and safety checks carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer
• Keep records of all safety checks for a minimum of two years
• If new tenants move in, provide a copy of the details of past checks within 28 days

The sanctions for non-compliance are severe with heavy fines and imprisonment possible. Accordingly for most social housing landlords gas safety features very highly on their risk map.

Unfortunately this is an area where issues often arise as tenants refuse to provide access. With the consequences of non compliance so severe, it is essential that a robust system is in place to deal with these matters.

Our experienced team of solicitors can provide emergency advice and assistance as well as issuing urgent injunctions where necessary. Usually once we are instructed in these cases access is nearly always provided without recourse to court action. Where an injunction is necessary we can deal with this quickly and efficiently and with minimal cost to our clients. Following new case law we can also ask the Court to order that the injunction remains in place for the duration of the tenancy agreement thus saving you further costs against repeat offenders.

To obtain further advice or to have a discussion, please contact us on 020 8290 0333 to speak to one of our solicitors in the Housing Management Team.