As the lockdown continues to ease around the nation, it is worth remembering to catch up with vital checks which may not have been undertaken as buildings were left understaffed or empty.

A particularly important check at this time is that of water safety. It is highly recommended that members carry out the necessary checks for Legionella. Further advice on this can be found at Chapter 4.15 of our Standards of Almshouse Management Guidance Manual.

In addition, you may want to take our online training course on Legionella –click here to access

Gas safety checks are also important. The Health and Safety Executive has provided the following guidance during the Covid-19 pandemic:

Landlords have a legal duty to repair and maintain gas pipework, flues and appliances in a safe condition, to ensure an annual gas safety check on each appliance and flue, and to keep a record of each safety check.

If you anticipate difficulties in gaining access as the COVID-19 situation progresses, you have the flexibility to carry out annual gas safety checks two months before the deadline date. Landlords can have the annual gas safety checks at their properties carried out any time from 10 to 12 calendar months after the previous check and still retain the original deadline date as if the check had been carried out exactly 12 months after the previous check.

You are encouraged to arrange your annual gas safety checks as early as possible, as a contingency against tenants being in self-isolation for a period of 14 days (in line with current guidelines), or gas engineers being unavailable due to illness. The two-month period to carry out annual gas safety checks should provide adequate resilience in most situations.

In the event, you are unable to gain access to the property, e.g. persistent refusal of access due to vulnerable tenants self-isolating, you will be expected to be able to demonstrate that you took reasonable steps to comply with the law and that you are seeking to arrange the safety check as soon as all parties are able. This will need to include records of communication with the tenant, and details of your engineers attempt to gain access.

Health and Safety Executive

As always, if you have any concerns please do not hesitate to contact The Almshouse Association and we will be more than happy to assist.

Posted 7th July 2020