Buy to let landlord refitted dangerous gas supply

Tenants’ lives were at risk when gas was reconnected to dangerous fittings after a safety engineer cut off the supply

The landlord ignored warnings fittings were faulty – including a flue that was fitted back to front.

Asif Azam of Whitelands Road, High Wycombe, was fined £800 and ordered to pay £2,000 costs after he admitted charges of ignoring gas safety regulations at Aylesbury Crown Court.

The court heard a gas inspector visited the buy to let home in Hughendon Road, High Wycombe, and discovered several dangerous faults in the gas supply.

The gas was cut off, but after the inspector left Azam reconnected the supply.

After the hearing Stephen Manley, HSE Inspector, said: “It is totally unacceptable to have a property where tenants’ lives are threatened because the gas appliances haven’t been properly looked after.

“HSE contacted Mr Azam with guidance, information and instruction on his requirements as a landlord, which he simply ignored.”

Elsewhere, a fire trapped tenants in flats which led to buy to let landlord Javed Iqbal being fined £3,350 and ordered to pay £914 costs. Six tenants and a baby were trapped in flats above a burning pub before firemen rescued them from the first floor of the Windmill Pub, Lincoln Road, Peterborough.

Iqbal pleaded guilty to fire safety charges at Peterborough Magistrates Court.

Steve Cotton, of Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue, said: “Failing to apply for building regulations approval meant that this building was not compliant with fire safety regulations, and that put lives at risk. If the owner ignores these regulations there is a possibility that the building will not be safe.”

Another landlord in court for failing to licence houses in multiple occupation (HMO) has cost a Leeds landlord £20,000 in fines and costs.

Martin Horsfall has to pay the fines that were imposed at an earlier hearing after losing an appeal to reopen the case.

Horsfall, of Harrogate Road, Leeds, was fined £14,000 for failing to licence four houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) plus costs of £6,802, by Leeds Magistrates in March.

He claims he knew nothing about the case despite leeds City Council housing officers making notes of telephone conversations with him.

Horsfall also denies receiving any letters or court papers in the post as he moved home.
The court upheld the earlier decision and ruled the fines and costs should stand.

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