Gas Servicing
Where there is a gas supply to a tenants house, Waverley Housing, through the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, has a legal requirement to carry out an annual gas safety inspection of gas appliances supplied in the property on an annual basis. We will also, at the time of the gas safety inspection, service any appliances for which we are responsible as well as any gas fire owned by our tenants.
Gas servicing is very important to ensure that boilers and fires in the home are safe to use. Faulty appliances can prove fatal as they produce dangerous levels of carbon monoxide. We will keep in proper repair any gas appliances for which we are responsible but tenants will be responsible for the cost of any repair to a gas fire owned by them. We will not service or carry out any repairs to gas cookers unless supplied by us.
It is vital that tenants allow us access to their home to enable us to carry out this work. Our contractor, appointed to undertake this work on our behalf will contact tenants direct to make access arrangements. If necessary, where tenants repeatedly fail to respond to our requests for access, we will make arrangements for Forced Access Entry and tenants will be advised in writing giving 24 hours’ notice of our intention to gain entry to their home.
The last thing we want to do is to have to break into a tenants home as this course of action will incur costs for the tenant for the necessary arrangement having to be made and the cost of reinstating any damage and/or replacing locks. Therefore, if tenants need any help or assistance regarding their gas servicing appointment, they should phone our Repairs team on 0800 104 105 and we will do our best to help.
Our gas maintenance contractor has the authority under the gas safety regulations to condemn and/or prohibit the use of any faulty gas appliance regardless of ownership. In such cases the contractor will disconnect and seal off the appliance. It is an offence under law for tenants to reconnect and use the appliance unless repaired or renewed by a competent contractor.
Following a gas safety inspection and/or service the contractor will send tenants a certificate in the post along with a tenant satisfaction survey. Tenants should leave the certificate in the house if they vacate the property. The satisfaction survey should be completed and returned in the Freepost envelope provided. Tenants should also advise the office if they are aware of their house not having had a gas safety inspection for more than one year.
Electrical Inspections
Waverley Housing is required by law to carry out periodic electrical inspections to its houses every 5 years.
Electrical safety is very important and tenants must make arrangements to allow us, or our contractor, access to their home for an inspection. Where there has been repeated failure to gain access to carry out an electrical inspection tenants will be advised in writing giving at least 24 hours’ notice of the company’s intention to gain entry to the home. This may be by force if necessary. Under such circumstances tenants will be charged for the necessary arrangements having to be made and the cost of reinstating any damage, caused through forcible entry.
