The following blog is a round-up of current guidance (19 March 2020). You can view official guidance here: Government, Social Housing Regulator, Gas Safe Register. 

Landlords and housing providers are being encouraged to arrange and carry out annual gas safety checks as early as possible to help mitigate against any potential issues caused by the COVID-19 outbreak. 

There have been no changes to regulations regarding the repair and maintenance of gas pipework, flues, and appliances. Landlords are expected to ensure an annual gas safety check is carried out and that they keep a record of each safety check. 

Make use of MOT style servicing

Gas Safe Register is encouraging housing providers to make use of MOT style servicing and the flexibility to carry out annual gas safety checks up to two months before the deadline date. The original deadline date will be retained as if the check was carried out on the deadline. 

The two-month period should allow housing providers enough contingency to ensure compliance in homes.

Gas Tag users can easily switch to MOT style servicing in the portal. Once turned on, users can allocate jobs and carry out work on properties up to two months ahead of the deadline date and still automatically preserve the original gas safety check date. 

Unable to access

If a resident is self-isolating it is important a housing provider or contractor does not enter the property. Public Health England guidance advises that they should not put themselves in a situation where they could be in contact with someone isolating and therefore at risk. 

Where unable to access due to self-isolation, providers and contractors are advised:

• Keep records of discussions with residents who are self-isolating

• Save all correspondence from the tenant 

• Advise engineers that they should not be putting themselves in danger.

Gas Tag will be shortly releasing an update to our app that will allow engineers to add the reason ‘self-isolating’ to an unable to access attempt. Our app will also give you geo-tagged and time-stapped photographic evidence of the engineer attending the property.