Boilers, heating and appliances: who looks after them

Key rules

• Gas inspection fee: The 5-year gas inspection is the owner's cost, so don't pay it unless your lease says you must.
• Boiler servicing: Routine servicing is normally yours to pay for, using an authorised firm.
• Age or defects: The landlord repairs or replaces the boiler, A/C, water heater and listed appliances when they fail through age or normal wear.
• Misuse: You pay for damage you cause through misuse or neglect.
• Lease clauses: Your lease can shift costs, but courts generally limit clauses that make you pay for replacement due to age.

The short rule

Age and defects are the landlord's problem. Everyday use and misuse are yours. Your lease can change this, so read its clauses on boilers and appliances first.

Gas inspections

The gas company (the distributor or supplier) arranges the periodic inspection of the piped gas installation. It sends a notice to whoever holds the supply contract, which is often you.

• You: book the visit and let the inspector in on the agreed day.
• The owner: is responsible for the installation being in order. If the inspection finds defects, tell the landlord in writing and ask them to do the corrective work.
• The fee: the inspection is the owner's cost. Don't pay it unless your lease says you must.

The inspection takes place every 5 years.

Boiler servicing

Routine servicing and the mandatory periodic checks are normally yours to pay for, as ordinary upkeep from use. Book them with an authorised installer-maintainer firm. Boilers over 70 kW usually need an annual check. For smaller domestic gas boilers, a check every 2 years is typical, though many makers and insurers recommend yearly. Ask the installer which interval applies to your boiler, because it varies by power and region.

If the boiler fails from age or a defect, the landlord repairs or replaces it. If you caused the damage through misuse or neglect, you pay.

Air conditioning and water heater

When the A/C and the electric water heater (termo) come with the home, the landlord keeps them working. If they fail from age or normal wear, the landlord repairs or replaces them.

You pay for routine upkeep, such as cleaning filters and small wear repairs. You also pay for failures you cause by misuse or negligence. If the A/C was not part of the lease, a court may treat it as non-essential, so don't assume the landlord must replace it.

Furnished homes and appliances

Appliances and furniture listed in the lease inventory count as delivered in working order. The landlord repairs or replaces them when they fail through age or normal use. The inventory also fixes what you must hand back and in what state.

A clause that puts all repairs of inventory items on you is generally limited by the courts. You can be asked to cover small wear repairs and damage you cause, but not replacement because the item is old. If a landlord insists on such a clause, the outcome depends on the court, so get advice before signing or disputing it.

Butane bottles

If you use butane, the hose has an expiry date, usually 4 to 5 years. Check the date and replace the hose when it expires.

Timeline and deadlines

• Individual piped gas installation inspection, arranged by the gas distributor or supplier, who sends you notice: every 5 years

• Domestic gas boiler maintenance by an authorised firm (boilers up to 70 kW): usually every 2 years; many manufacturers and insurers recommend every year

• Boiler maintenance by an authorised firm (boilers over 70 kW): usually every year

• Replace the hose on a butane bottle: before the date printed on it, usually 4 to 5 years after it was made

Checklist

• Check your lease for a clause on boiler servicing and gas inspections, because it can change who pays.

• Open the notice from the gas distributor or supplier and book the 5-year gas inspection visit if you hold the supply contract.

• Give the inspector access to the home on the agreed day.

• Tell the landlord in writing if the inspection finds defects, and ask them to do the corrective work, since the owner is responsible for the installation's conformity.

• If you are asked to pay for the inspection, check the fee rule above and your lease before you pay.

• Book routine boiler servicing with an authorised installer-maintainer firm, and pay for it yourself unless the lease says otherwise.

• Ask the landlord to repair or replace the boiler if it fails from age or a defect, since the landlord pays for that.

Quick answers on day-to-day tenant questions

The washing machine that came with my flat broke. Who pays?

If the washing machine is listed in your lease or inventory, the landlord repairs or replaces it when it fails through age or normal use. You pay for small repairs from daily use and for damage caused by misuse. If it is not listed, the landlord does not have to fix it, so keep your inventory.

Do I have to repaint before I move out?

No, not for normal ageing of the paint. You only owe repainting for damage beyond ordinary use, such as stains, holes or colours the landlord did not approve. If the landlord deducts repainting from your deposit, they must justify the cost.

Can my landlord bring buyers or take photos while I live there?

Not without your consent. The landlord has no automatic right to enter your home, and photos showing your belongings or people need your agreement too. Your lease may allow reasonable viewings, for example near the end of the lease, so read it before you answer.