Gas Safety / Boiler Service

[grosseconnasse]

We're first-time buyers, trying to buy a house at the moment and we've asked to see all relevant certificates including a valid gas safety certificate or boiler service. First the vendor said she didn't have one. Then she sent one from 2014 (they're only valid for 12 months). In the meantime, we had a builder round the other day to look at some damp-proofing repairs, who pointed out that the overflow has been leaking some time and running into the wall, so there may be an issue with the boiler.
Are we being unreasonable and unrealistic in wanting a certificate, or proof of a boiler service? Surely you wouldn't just buy a house and hope that all the gas-related stuff is in good nick?! I can't decide if she is being difficult or if she's just clueless

You don't need a gas safety certificate for a boiler in a house which isn't let to tenants. But, it is good practice to have a boiler serviced every year. Ask, via your solicitor, that the boiler is serviced and a copy of the report sent to you.

wow we've been asking for a certificate for the past 3 weeks. Solicitor said the vendor would have to provide one and that laws have changed, but I'm not sure about that.

Is it also reasonable for us to expect the vendor to pay for the service or certificate?

Clarify with your solicitor exactly what they think the vendor should provide. There is no requirement to have an annual safety check. It is good practice to have a boiler serviced annually. Boilers installed after a certain date must be registered with building control.

I would ask that the boiler is serviced. Does the vendor really want to jeopardise the sale for the cost of servicing? As a buyer you want to be sure there isn't expensive work needed or worse, replacement required.

Only rented properties have a statutory annual safety certificate. However a service is relatively inexpensive to arrange.

a gas safe cert is not a service. What you need to ask is:

• has the boiler been serviced?
• how old is it? (If after 2005 there should be building regs approval)

then factor the answers into your offer.

buyers pay for this kind of thing.

Thanks for the clarification about gas safe / boiler service.

Having spoken to the solicitor, I rang the estate agent and asked for the vendor to arrange a boiler service, plus some other queries. Now just waiting for a response from the vendor.

Being honest there are relatively few legal requirements for buying a house. Most extra requirements are enforced by the solicitors on behalf of the mortgage company, to guarantee the house is saleable as security for the loan.
Anything else is down to negotiation between the buyer and seller.
So your boiler would come into that category, you just need to find out the current situation, negotiate what you want to happen before exchange, if anything, and negotiate the price.
If any of that is insurmountable then I guess you pull out.
But in your situation I'd try to persuade them to get a service done, but only if they were working to a time scale and I wasn't. If not I'd either get a report done at my own cost and decide to renegotiate based on that.

Sorry to derail slightly, if I get a new boiler do I have to notify building regulations?

Can someone link to some info about this / give me an overview?

TIA.

More relevantly to the thread: I sold recently and had a gas safe certificate, the buyer wanted a service before exchange so paid for it herself.

Your gas safe installer will notify building regs. Confirm with them that this is happening and then check with the council.

Ah great. Thanks special.