Buyer requesting FENSA and GASSAFE certificates

[bigTillyMint]

I am selling my DM's house and was told this morning, by the Estate Agent, that the buyer is ready to exchange tomorrow or Friday at the latest. Then I got an email from our solicitor asking for various FENSA and GASSAFE certificates from 2005 onwards. I have the FENSA from 2005 and some invoices to later work, plus a GASSAFE and some service/maintenance invoices from the last 3 years, but not the whole lot.

As my DM is in a Dementia Care Home now, and we live 200miles away, and the house has now been cleared, there is no way of getting the others.

Do you think this will be a problem, and if so, what might happen?

The buyer is a developer and didn't want a survey done on the house, so this late request does seem a bit strange

Just give them what you can. A missing boiler service certificate isn't going to put an end to the sale.

I couldn't find them all when I sold my last property - buyer wanted them so I had to pay for an insurance policy to cover the fact I didn't have them.

Policy didn't cost much and solicitor arranged it all.

We bought a house from someone in your position. I believe the Fensa certificates can be obtained online for a smallish cost. Our vendors offered us a payment in lieu of certificates which we accepted as we knew we'd be ripping them out.

Oh thanks for such fast replies!

That's all great to know - very helpful, thanks

I have now actually found Insurance Policies for the FENSA stuff from 2009/2010 that last 10 years, so hopefully that will cover them. And as the boiler/gas fire have been maintained annually, surely that counts that they are safe?

It all seems strange to be asking for them at the 11th hour, when he already tried to get us to pay him £1000 to empty the house (having said he would take it as seen)

We're buying a property without FENSA, the solicitor has requested that our buyer takes out indemnity insurance. Our solicitor said it only costs £40 and is the speediest method. It sounds utterly pointless to me tbh.

Well, £40 sounds fine, if the policies already in place aren't enough!

Honestly though the insurance only covers the buyer if the council seem the Windows unsafe... Never going to happen! And you say the guys a developer, he might change the Windows. What's his problem?!

He might need these things to satisfy whoever is financing him.

Your FENSA cert is exactly what they need. They are for all windows fitted after April 2002. They cost £20 online for a replacement. And arrive in 3 days!! Gas cert not necessary nor is an indemnity, despite the buyers asking.

Can you tell I've done all this in the last week...?

We are selling just now and our buyer's solicitor asked for the FENSA certificate, which we can't find. Plus the windows are more than 10 years old now, so no longer under guarantee anyway.

The buyer wasn't bothered, but his solicitor insisted we stump up £30 to purchase a replacement certificate. All a bit pointless and time wasting really.

I can't remember the last time I had my boiler services & I work for a Gas Safe registered company!!!!

I thought only landlords had to have gas safe certificates?

There's only a legal requirement to have a gas certificate for a rental property so if it hasn't been rented there is unlikely to be one and anyway they only last one year. Any new boiler fitted would have some paperwork though.

fledgling I feel your pain.

dontsuffer so it costs £20 for a replacement FENSA cert?
Here we've been quoted £40 and £30 respectively. Some solicitors are getting a cumulative backhander or two then. All adds up!

Been there - what is needed is the building regs cert for the boiler, not a landlord certificate. Different things .

If the boiler was installed by a proper gas safe person, they should have registered it with the council under building regs.

Try the council tomorrow. Leaving it this late to ask is annoying of your buyer.

Gosh, so much knowledge - I love MN!

So do I ask the council for both the FENSA and the GASSAFE?
I know the companies that installed both.

Boilers have to be registered when they are fitted so try the Council about that (will depend when it was fitted whether it should have been registered). Fensa - you can just order a replacement certificate on thr website.

Thank you!

If the works have shown up on the buyers search this is proof enough that the work was carried out under the competent person scheme. Anything over 10 years old is out of guarantee and does not need to be supplied. A buyer can ask you to have a boiler serviced but you are under no legal obligation to do so. Given that the buyer is a developer, doubt they are bothered. However conveyancers earn commission on indemnity policies they sell. Just give them what you have and say no to anything else they ask for

Just looked on the FENSA website - it's actually dead easy! And only £20.

Christina, that sounds like good advice!

I am a conveyancer!

I'll definitely take your advice then

They have to be registered if they were installed after April 2005.

Mine was 2001 so I have nothing!