Moving Home?
When moving home, it is always good practice to know exactly what documentation you require as part of your home exchange process so we have put together top tips on what you will need.
- Certificate of Compliance – The certificate demonstrates that the installation complies with the relevant Building Regulations. In England & Wales, it is used to notify your Local Authority Building Control Department (LABC) of the work undertaken.
- Original appliance instructions manual.
- Latest chimney sweeping safety record.
- Servicing record.
The above information can also be required to validate your home insurance.
Please keep these records in a safe place for future reference and ask for these records when purchasing a new property with a solid fuel heating system.
Certificate of Compliance
The certificate demonstrates that the installation complies with the relevant Building Regulations and in England & Wales, it is used to notify your Local Authority Building Control Department (LABC) of the work undertaken. It has been a legal requirement to notify these installations since 2005.
Replacement Certificate
Copies of HETAS certificates of compliance can be ordered through our online search. Enter your postcode of property to find the relevant certificate. Replacements cost £33.60 incl. VAT and following payment, you will receive an email with your certificate and an invoice.
Original appliance instructions manual
We would encourage you to leave the appliances instruction manual so that the new homeowner will be able to read up on how to use and operate the appliance safely.
If you have lost or misplaced the manual, you may be able to obtain a duplicate from your supplier or manufacturer.
The HETAS Product search also contains a large number of appliance instructions.
Chimney Sweeping Certificate
This is handed over to the new homeowners so they will know when the chimney was last swept.
We encourage having your chimney swept at least twice a year when burning wood and at least once a year when burning smokeless fuels.
The best times to have your chimney swept are just before the start of the heating season and after your stove has not been used over a prolonged period. If sweeping twice a year, the second time should be after the peak of the main heating season.
We recommend using a HETAS Approved Chimney Sweep – your local approved chimney sweep can be found on our website using a postcode search.
Servicing Record
All solid fuel appliances require continued maintenance and servicing, to ensure they operate efficiently and safely. A routine service should be carried out at least once a year and must meet the appliance manufacturers’ requirements given in any maintenance instructions.
After servicing by a HETAS Approved Servicing Technician, a servicing & safety record sheet is presented to you as the homeowner. This confirms any remedial work required and what checks/tests have been carried out during the service.
When moving home, it would be advisable to leave a copy of your latest Servicing Record so that the new homeowners have confirmation of the last service and details of the appliance. This will also aid future servicing technicians with having a history of appliance servicing.
How can I obtain a certificate if I don’t have one for my installation?
To obtain a HETAS Certificate of Compliance we would recommend contacting a HETAS Registered Installer for assistance as they may be able to re-commission the installation and issue a new notification. The level of work required for this can depend on factors such as the age of the installation, it’s use and condition and whether it meets current building regulations.
Once inspection and re-commissioning has been completed, they will be able to inform you whether they can provide a Certificate of Compliance. Should the installation not be compliant to Building Regulations, they will be able to advise you on your next steps. However, it is worth bearing in mind that some installers are reluctant to recommission an installation, without fully removing and reinstalling, as they are taking liability for an installation not originally completed by them and they do not know the history of the stove.
You can use this link to find a HETAS Registered Installer. We suggest getting quotes from at least 3 installers.
Alternatively you can contact your Local Authority’s Building Control and request a retrospective sign off but please be aware that this isn’t a service all councils offer.
Further Information
The HETAS website has a range of information, from safety tips to carbon monoxide, and advice on the right fuels. You can also get in touch with the team for more information. Click here to get in touch with us.