Here's an idea

In 2002, the Audit Commission criticised our performance on checking gas safety certificates within 12 months. We had been contacting tenants in the 11th month after their last service and often missed the deadline. In April 2003, we brought forward the servicing cycle and started trying to access properties in month 10.

We introduced a new administration system that required an extra member of staff and costs about £25,000 per year. This monitored our progress and made better use of the access history of each tenant.

If a tenant won't let us in, we refuse to do any repairs until they do. We can use an injunction or serve a possession notice because it's a breach of tenancy not to let us check the gas. We can get any legal costs back from the tenant.

Where people have made it difficult for us to get in, we fit a device designed to cut the heating system off after 12 months unless it is reprogrammed. We also run adverts on gas safety in tenant magazines and the local press.

Now 92% of our properties have had certificates renewed in the past year, compared to 48% last April. Contacting tenants earlier costs more – we've spent £20,000 extra so far because if they let you in straightaway, the certificate is renewed after 10 months. But if someone was poisoned by carbon monoxide and we hadn't serviced their gas appliances, the damages claim – and damage to our reputation – could be sizeable.