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HMO Landlord fined £5,000 for fire safety breach

from "UK Landlord" magazine, July 2007

A Bournemouth landlord has been fined £5,000 for neglecting to provide adequate fire precautions in his ten-person bedsit.

The Court imposed the maximum fine of £5,000 when it heard that the landlord, Mr Piper of Dean Park Property Services, had failed to comply with a statutory notice requiring him to service the property's fire extinguishers, repair its smoke detection units, and install self-closing fire doors.

The Housing Act 2004 requires landlords to ensure they have a safe means of escape in case of fire and that fire alarms and firefighting equipment such as extinguishers are maintained in good repair.

The court's decision was applauded by Steven Day, Senior Private Sector Housing Officer in Bournemouth:

"Landlords should be encouraged by this result, as it protects the reputation of the many responsible landlords whose properties are in good order from being tarnished by the reckless few."

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