Do I need a HETAS certificate to sell my house?

Selling a house is a long process - but it’s made all the longer by not having the right documents. House buyers require a good deal of administration to ensure their purchase is in order, and their solicitors will push for the relevant paperwork.

You may be familiar with some of the paperwork and their functions - a TA10 form, for instance, describes all the fittings and contents that were present in your home when you first bought it. A document you might not be familiar with however, is a HETAS certificate.

Necessary for any solid-fuel appliances in England and Wales, a Heating Equipment and Testing Approval (HETAS) certificate confirms the appliance was installed to industry standard. But do you need one to sell your house?

Do you need a HETAS certificate to sell your house? - Bottomline

The short answer is no, you do not need a HETAS certificate to sell your house. They're not a compulsory requirement in property purchases and many buyers do not request certification.

If they’re scrupulous, the buyer’s conveyancer may ask for evidence that your appliance has been installed correctly. But there are over six other Competent Person Schemes (CPS) to HETAS that may have signed off on your solid-fuel appliance. These are:

• APHC
• BESCA
• Certsure
• NAPIT
• OFTEC
• Stroma

You may have the certificates from any one of these schemes. If you can’t find it, simply contact the Competent Person Scheme and ask for a copy. If you have a HETAS registered appliance, a copy of the certificate can be ordered through the HETAS website for an administration fee of £24 plus VAT.

If your appliance isn’t registered, or your appliance was installed before you moved in, simply explain the situation to the buyer’s conveyancer. The buyer has two options available - to either continue with their purchase of your home, or abandon it.

Ultimately, if you have a carbon monoxide alarm installed, and the device has been used without trouble, the buyers are likely to proceed with the purchase.

Please note that official guidelines state that homeowners should not use a solid fuel appliance until they have received a certificate or had an inspection. Improperly installed devices can cause carbon monoxide poisoning if used.

Where might there be issues?

Certificates from any of the above six schemes confirm the appliance meets Building Regulations with your local authority, and help to validate home insurance.

From a buyer’s perspective, an absence of a HETAS certificate could leave them vulnerable to future problems without the possible safety net of insurance. You, the seller, could offer to pay for indemnity insurance as a means of reassuring them about the property sale.

When do you need a HETAS certificate?

So if having a HETAS certificate isn't essential for selling your home, when do you need one?

Since 2005, it's been a legal requirement to notify your local authority of the installations of any solid fuel and wood biomass systems. Installations through HETAS or one of the six aforementioned CPS:

• Notify your local authority of installation
• Validate its safety in meeting Building Regulations
• Provide you with a certificate of compliance
• Provide you with a servicing and safety record sheet

If you're thinking of selling, and have your certificate to hand, you should also pass on the servicing and safety record sheet that was completed by the HETAS engineer to the new owners. This document informs the owners of tests that were performed during the initial service and whether any future services are required.

If I have a log burner, do I need a HETAS certificate for chimney cleaning?

If you have a log burner or fireplace, you may be wondering whether necessary maintenance work requires HETAS certificates. Do chimney sweeps for instance, require proof of compliance?

You'll be pleased to know that chimney sweeping work does not require certification.

What counts as a solid fuel appliance?

A household appliance that uses fuel in solid form to function counts as such. Traditional appliances requiring solid fuel include:

• Log burner or wood burner
• Open fireplace
• Boiler
• Cooker

When you install any of the above, the job needs to be completed by either a HETAS registered installer or an installer who is registered with any of the aforementioned CPS.

What is a Competent Person Scheme (CPS)?

A CPS is a team of installers who have been authorised by the government to self-certify certain types of building work. They don’t need to receive Building Regulations approval from local authorities. This means they can charge lower rates (no longer having to pay Building Regulations inspections fees), reducing the costs involved for their services.

What if I move in and haven't got a certificate of compliance?

If you've recently moved into a new house and can't find the HETAS certificate for your log burning stove or fireplace, don't worry - there's several things you can do.

First things first. Official guidelines state that you should not use the appliance until you have received the certificate. Improperly installed solid fuel appliances can cause carbon monoxide poisoning, which may result in to death.

However, just because you haven’t got a certificate to hand, doesn’t mean the appliance is not compliant. Contact your local authority to see if they have the installation on record. If they do, you're good to go.

If they don't have the installation on record, you can pay a HETAS (or APHC, BESCA, Certsure, NAPIT, OFTEC and Stroma) engineer to visit your house and inspect the appliance.

Chances are, if the installation is not on record, you'll either need to replace the fireplace, stove or log burner, or simply decommission it.

Do other household appliances require CPS installers?

Yes! Both gas and oil appliances have their own CPS for installations:

Summary: Non-essential for homeselling, but essential for use

If you can’t find your HETAS certificate when you’re trying to sell your home - don’t panic. It shouldn’t get in the way of selling your house.

But if you are thinking of using an appliance that hasn’t got a certificate of compliance, it's in your best interest to get it inspected before using it.