How often should a landlord service a boiler?

Knowing how often to service and maintain your rental property is key. One of these major checks should be on your boiler. So, how often should a landlord service a boiler?

Landlords, you should be looking to get your boiler checked annually. Yes, annually. And when we say should, we mean, it’s a legal requirement. 

Does a landlord need to service a boiler?

Yes. By law, you must ask a qualified Gas Safe engineer to check appliances such as your boiler to ensure everything is running safely. The appliances that need to be checked include the boiler, as well as hobs, fireplaces, stoves and hobs. 

You should also carry out a check on your boiler before a tenancy starts and in between tenancies. By having regular and certified checks carried out you will be confident that you are handing over your property to your tenants in the safest condition possible.

What happens if a landlord does not service the boiler?

Unsurprisingly, there are many risks involved in not servicing your rental property’s boiler.

Tenant’s health and safety 

Unchecked boilers leave a margin for serious and even devastating events to occur. A simple leak of carbon monoxide could have fatal results for your tenants. This silent killer can be detected with a carbon monoxide alarm. See our advice on why you should install one. 

Furthermore, leaks can lead to explosions. Need we say more about how devastating this could be to the health and safety of your tenants?

Breach of insurance

Failure to service your boiler can also breach your insurance policy requirements and render the property uninsured, leaving you liable for the cost of all repairs.

Rental arrears 

So the hot water has stopped working and your tenants are complaining to you. You’re doing nothing about it, so they stop paying rent. 

While we’re sure you’d do everything to sort the situation out quickly, servicing your boiler regularly could eliminate situations arising such as this one. Failure to act quickly can impact your income stream and the living conditions of your tenants. 

Property damage 

As you’ve seen in the first point here, damage can be a major result of an unserviced boiler. If an explosion were to occur or a fire breakout the property could face some unretrievable damage. Smoke and fire damage are extremely hard to battle. See our advice page for more information on how to clean up after a fire. 

Can a tenant refuse to pay rent if the boiler is broken?

Essentially, no. Most citizen’s advice officers would advise the tenant to keep paying their rent in the face of a broken boiler. You should be acting swiftly to rectify the problem. 

By keeping clear communication open with your tenants and dated action to resolve a broken boiler, you’ll avert any distaste for paying rent. 

That said, tenants are being offered more support. Have a read of the latest rental reform 2022 to see how local councils are set to defend tenants who are in situations with Landlords who do not act quickly. 

What do I do if my boiler breaks?

We understand that even with regular boiler servicing, situations occur. By setting aside a pot of maintenance money, you’ll be able to tackle these types of problems without hesitation. 

In addition, if there is damage to your property and you’re looking to consult your insurance policy, be sure to have a good one in place. Get in touch with CIA Landlords today and find a landlord insurance policy that suits you. Put your mind at ease and allow us to take care of the rest.