Multifuel stove in rental

[lotusbell]

We're about to move in a week and this is the multifuel stove in the property. I'm not 100% i want to use it (cost, storage, faff, health) but I'm also concerned that if we do, there is nothing in front of it to protect the carpet. Does it need some sort of tiling,slate or can I put a rug in front of it. The surround is also pretty ugly
No idea when it comes to these burners, OH thinks he does but I'm not convinced.

@murbblurb, yes we have the room although would need to get storage. No young children so that's not an issue.
Likelihood is we wintbother using it as there is gas central heating too.

My tenants have woodburner. I don't think they use it much but I arrange to have it swept yearly and I have a carbon monoxide detector installed.
Ask you LL to see the certificate from the sweep.

Until the government turn the gas off, use that! Please check you have all the right legals for the place including gas Safe cert.

It never used to be the case years ago, but now, if you have any type of fire, you need to have the chimney swept annually (for which you get a piece of paper from the sweep saying that the installation is clean, in good working order and is also safe). Without this bit of 'evidence', if you have a chimney (or other) fire, your insurer will probably not pay out. Your landlord should be aware of this. I would be worried about this stove because it is incorrectly fitted (that carpet will end up with scorch marks) and there is wood or MDF in the surround. I would wonder if the flue has been lined or if the stove pipe has just been bunged up the chimney opening. The fact he's telling you to get the chimney cleaned is odd. It's a bit like telling you to get the boiler serviced before you use the central heating. I am sure his duties as a landlord would include making sure the stove is all ready to be used, with the correct certification.

If you get a sweep in make sure they are properly qualified - Guild of Master Sweeps or NACS. There are z lot of cowboys who wouldn't even let you know if your chimney was blocked.

We've had no contact with the landlord, this is through the agency. We don't know if the landlord has put this in or if it was in when he bought the property, I'm inclined to think the latter. The tenant who was in before us had barely moved in before she went into a home so doubt it has been used for a long time.
We were only told to get the chimney swept if we were intending on using it, which all things considered we may not bother with. Taking on board all the advice here, I've got a list of questions to ask next week.

It doesn't matter if you intend using it or not.
Its the same principal as gas appliances.

Safety certificate once a year.
And all electrics checked every 5 years.

as a landlord I think yours is an idiot & unprofessional to boot!
he either needs to block it off or to service it & make sure its safe.You are renting out to people &you need to take responsibility for that - in fact you have to be more safety conscious then you might be in your own home. I would worry that a tenant might not be safety conscious or not bother to get the chimney swept & burn the house down as well & I doubt the insurance would cover that.
He will need co2 in that room & fire alarm & vent of some kind

Building regs have definitely been specifying fireproof surrounds - walls and floor - for approx 20 years (maybe much longer) and I doubt that the landlord's fire is as old as that.

Also agree with previous posters about need for professionally swept chimney (if not, insurance can be invalid) , carbon-monoxide monitor, fire alarms (in Scotland, these will soon have to be wireless linked, by law). You also need - by law - trickle vents and/or an air vent/airbrick in the room with the fire. And the stove needs to have the right sort of flue.

useful summary here - see especially the paras headed 'Hearth Requirements' and 'Ventilation' :

www.woodburnerwarehouse.co.uk/building-regulations

official document here:

www.hetas.co.uk/consumer/regulations/

Are you even allowed to burn wood or other solid fuel in the area where you live? There are new regulations: www.hetas.co.uk/new-legislation-for-wood-and-manufactured-solid-fuels/

Thanks for all the continued advice, as ice said, I'll be asking questions on Monday when we move in. The sale listing in April 2019 mentions a 'newly installed wood burning stove' in the description so you'd hope there is some paperwork somewhere!

@lotusbell

Thanks for all the continued advice, as ice said, I'll be asking questions on Monday when we move in. The sale listing in April 2019 mentions a 'newly installed wood burning stove' in the description so you'd hope there is some paperwork somewhere!

If it’s newly installed then it’s absolutely illegal. And I’d be not putting my families life at risk by using it.

If the stove was installed in April 2019, I would suspect a bodge DIY job. No self respecting hetas engineer would admit to doing that installation.

We needed the doors on the wood burner resealed for our tenants. The chap who came to do it was most scathing about the installation, until I pointed out it had been done in 1992 by the previous owner of his shop. I also pointed out that regulations were not retrospective and thus could not apply to installations done prior to the first date of the HETAS regs, as he started on about the Jetmaster in another room, which I think was installed between the late 70s to mid 80s.

cats justify away, if that makes having a dangerous installation feel any better for you or anyone else

But your comment is irrelvant.
The OP has said - just read posts above - that this is a NEW installation.

The house was up for sale in 2019 and the blurb mentions a newly installed stove. What they call 'new' i don't know but hopefully there'll be paperwork to clarify.
The chap who lived here before it was sold was a bit of a handy man so whether he's done it himself I've no idea but I'm just speculating!

I won't be using it don't worry!

Flora As it was installed prior to HEATAS, it was fine, as are the used fireplaces installed in Edwardian and Victorian houses. As long as the chimney is swept annually and the sweep was/is happy, there is not a problem is there?

The chap in question was actually trying to make me buy a new woodburner, whereas the chimney sweep certified that the woodburner was safe every year.

@lotusbell

I won't be using it don't worry!

Op don’t use it is correct,

There needs to be a hearth, it’s a legal requirement and there is not one, which makes me think they have done it themselves. Installing a liner ans insulating isn’t the law but is strongly advisable as it reduces the risk of chimney fires and protects against carbon monoxide leaks.

The installation needs to be notified to building control and if it wasn’t installed by hetas they will need to come and check it.

No hearth says this is a diy job and I’d worry about chimney fires.

So you think I need to report it to someone rather than just not use it?

@lotusbell

So you think I need to report it to someone rather than just not use it?

No, don’t do that if you’re going to be living there. He will know it’s you, you can Ask the landlord for the building control notification etc, say you’ve noticed there is no hearth and are concerned,

I’d also get a reputable sweep in, they will be able to have a look and tell you the issues.

@Bluntness100, you have been most helpful, thank you!