Latest fire prosecutions - November 2018

We bring you the latest fire prosecutions to highlight the importance of fire safety and to remind you of the risks and failings that can occur when it is breached.

Our latest update of fire prosecutions sees a Manchester landlord fined £55K for HMO and fire safety failings. 

Case 1 

A landlord from St Helens, Merseyside has been fined £21,000 for putting their tenants at risk after failing to carry out required improvements on a buy to let property.

Warrington Council identified a number of fire safety risks that the landlord had failed to address at the property which was occupied by a family. The risks included dangerous electrics and damp. It was also found that the landlord had failed to comply with a smoke alarm notice and was issued with a fixed penalty fine of £1000.

Warrington Council’s executive board member for public health, Councillor Maureen McLaughlin said: “We are sending out a clear message to bad landlords that failing to ensure your properties are safe and healthy for your tenants will not be tolerated.

“We want to protect all of Warrington’s tenants from poor housing conditions, and we are working closely with landlords to achieve this.

"While the vast majority of them want to work with us, we will continue to use all the powers available to us to take action against those who fail to cooperate.”

Case 2

Manchester Property Tribunal has issued a landlord with a £55,500 fine after finding multiple HMO fire safety offences at two adjoining properties.

The two dwellings who were owned by the same landlord were visited by local authority officers who found that the fire alarm system within one property was unsuitable for a HMO as well as a lack of fire doors on escape routes and insufficient fire safety protection within the cellar. Similar issues were discovered at the other property.

Paul Dennett, Mayor of Salford, said: “We introduced selective licensing to wipe bad landlords out of the city and improve standards for all the people who live in rented accommodation.

“Tenants and communities should not be exploited so our aim is to make sure that housing is up to standard and this city does not suffer from unscrupulous landlords.

“Thanks to the proactive work from our housing officers we have been able to take action.”

These highlighted cases serve as a reminder of the legal responsibilities landlords and agents have in ensuring the safety of occupants in residential and commercial premises.

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/landlord-fined-21-000-for-fire-and-safety-breaches.html https://www.fia.uk.com/news/55-500-fine-for-landlord-with-multiple-hmo-fire-safety-offences.html