Latest fire prosecutions - December 2018

We bring you the latest fire prosecutions to highlight the importance of fire safety and to act as a reminder of the risks, failings and legal consequences that can occur when regulations are breached.

In this latest update of fire prosecutions, we see a London based landlord face a £1.5 million fine for a string of fire safety offences. 

Case 1

A rogue landlord from North London has been fined £1.5 million following a series of significant fire safety convictions.

He has been ordered to pay back the money he made from dozens of tenants over several years who lived in the unsafe properties. If he fails to pay he could face nine years in prison.

In 2008, the landlord was fined £2800 for a number of fire safety offences and in December 2017 was fined a further £13,400 for license breaches.

Heather Wheeler, housing minister said, “We are committed to making sure people who are renting have good quality and well-maintained properties, and our rogue landlord's database is just one of our policies for doing so, alongside banning orders, civil penalties and rent repayment orders."

Case 2

A private landlord has been fined a total of £3600 for failing to comply with two improvement notices for fire safety hazards.

The property, located in Grantham, Lincolnshire was found to have a number of safety hazards which included missing smoke detectors, fire hazards, blocked fire escape routes and concerns to electrical installations. Damp and mould were also found at the property.

Improvement notices handed out in October and November 2017 were ignored by the landlord. When South Kesteven District Council revisited in June 2018, there was still no sign of the required work being completed or even beginning.

In addition to the fines, the landlord will also be required to carry out and complete the required improvement works.

Here at Vulcan, we offer a range of fire training courses to help companies and individuals understand the importance of fire safety and the legal requirements that companies face.

Find out more about our courses here.

Source:

https://www.fia.uk.com/news/rogue-landlord-faces-prison.html https://www.fia.uk.com/news/landlord-fined-3600-for-fire-safety-failings.html