New working practices agreed by The Property Institute Scotland (TPI Scotland) and the Independent Networks Association (INA) will help property factors and Independent Gas Transporters (IGTs) address gas safety concerns in multi-occupancy buildings faster and more consistently.
For Scottish property factors and their clients, the practical benefit is clearer communication: what work is required, who is responsible for it, who will bear the cost and what needs to happen next. This should help reduce delays, support informed decisions by homeowners and prevent unresolved problems from escalating into more serious safety or supply issues.
Why cooperation matters
IGTs have a legal duty to inspect and maintain the gas infrastructure they own and operate within multi-occupancy buildings. This generally extends to the Emergency Control Valve immediately upstream of each gas meter.
During an inspection, an IGT may identify work needed either to its own gas infrastructure or to the surrounding building fabric.
Responsibility depends on what has been identified:
- The IGT is responsible for maintaining its gas pipes and associated fittings. Where repairs are needed and have not resulted from third-party damage, the IGT will normally carry out and fund that work.
- The building’s co-owners are collectively the “principal duty-holder” responsible for common building fabric, including matters such as access to gas pipes, ventilation, ducts, fire-stopping and the sealing of wall penetrations.
- A property factor may assist the co-owners in managing these responsibilities, but only within the authority provided by its contract, Written Statement of Services or the building’s Deed of Conditions. Co-owners may therefore need to approve and fund work before it can proceed.
Until now, differences in terminology, expectations and communication routes have sometimes made these cases more difficult to resolve. The jointly agreed briefing provides a common framework for factors and IGTs to follow while respecting the distinct legal responsibilities of the IGT, the co-owners and the factor.
A clearer route from inspection to resolution
Under the agreed approach, an IGT identifying a building-fabric issue will normally contact the factor as the initial point of communication with the co-owners. It will provide details of the inspection findings and the corrective work required.
A standard series of communications supports this process. This begins with an initial notice explaining the issue and asking the factor to notify the co-owners and, where appropriate, seek their authority for remedial work. If the matter remains unresolved, further communications will clearly explain its urgency and the potential consequences of continued inaction.
This gives factors clearer evidence to share with clients, making it easier to explain why work is necessary and support the co-owners in reaching a decision. It also gives IGTs a consistent route to monitor progress and escalate genuine safety concerns.
Crucially, the approach does not transfer the co-owners’ responsibilities to the factor or extend a factor’s contractual authority. It recognises the important practical role factors can play in bringing the right people together, while ensuring IGTs provide sufficiently clear information to support that engagement.
Preventing avoidable disruption
Early cooperation is important because unresolved building-fabric problems can affect whether an IGT can continue to convey gas safely.
Where access, ventilation, fire-stopping or another safety-related deficiency is not addressed, the IGT may ultimately need to involve the relevant authorities or isolate the gas supply. Recommissioning may then require the installation to meet current standards, potentially creating further disruption and cost for the co-owners.
The value of the new approach is therefore not simply administrative. Clearer information and earlier engagement can help protect residents, avoid unnecessary delays and reduce the likelihood of a manageable maintenance issue becoming a costly or disruptive emergency.
TPI Scotland members are encouraged to familiarise relevant property management teams with the briefing note and use it when engaging with IGTs and co-owners. The note includes further guidance on responsibilities, the agreed communication process, frequently asked questions and contact details for INA member IGTs.
By working from the same framework, factors and IGTs can resolve issues more efficiently and help keep Scotland’s multi-occupancy buildings and the people who live in them safe and connected.
