Landlord fined for ignoring gas safety rules

Landlord fined for ignoring gas safety rules

0:06 AM, 5th March 2024, About 9 months ago 3

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A court has fined a landlord almost £1,500 for neglecting her gas safety obligations and ignoring council warnings.

Tracey Robinson, from Cold Hesledon, Seaham, was the landlord of a terraced house in Sorley Street, Sunderland.

She failed to produce a gas safety certificate and other documents as required by the Housing Act 2004.

South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court ordered her to pay £1,236.86 in court costs, a £180 fine and a £72 victim surcharge.

Denied the charges and went to trial

Ms Robinson denied the charges and went to trial where she claimed that she had not received the council’s letters because she had moved house.

She also said that she thought she had fulfilled her duties by contacting her gas engineer or the Health and Safety Executive.

The court did not accept her defence and heard evidence of her negligence.

In June 2022, the council received a complaint from Ms Robinson’s tenant in Sorley Street.

The tenant had no heating or hot water after a gas leak caused the supply to be cut-off.

Could not fix the corroded gas pipes

A gas engineer said that he could not fix the corroded gas pipes until the plumbing work was done. He also said that the gas boiler’s flue was sealed with builder’s foam.

In July 2022, the council served a legal notice to Ms Robinson and hand posted it at her home address.

The notice demanded that she carry out the gas repairs and provide a gas safety record to the council.

Landlords must have a gas safety certificate and an annual inspection of any gas appliance they provide to their rental property by law.

Confirmed that the repairs had been done

A council officer visited the property again and confirmed that the repairs had been done.

However, the council still did not receive the gas safety certificate or the information they requested from Ms Robinson.

They served a legal caution in December 2022, but she did not respond. The council then took legal action against her.

‘Important legal and health and safety responsibilities’

The deputy leader of Sunderland City Council, Cllr Claire Rowntree, said: “Owning property and being a landlord brings with it important legal and health and safety responsibilities that must be met.

“These are especially important when it comes to gas safety and utility regulations.

“Failing to meet these responsibilities can have consequences.”


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Comments

aydin

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12:11 PM, 5th March 2024, About 9 months ago

well we as landlords have to live up to our responsibilities, we just can not pass these on to the gas engineer or anyone else. The buck stops with us, shame it had to go to court and make headlines, in the present anti-landlord climate

Paul Essex

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16:23 PM, 5th March 2024, About 9 months ago

We don't actually know if a gas certificate was produced at the time of repair, if so I feel that the treatment is typically harsh.

Fed-up Landlord

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13:04 PM, 6th March 2024, About 9 months ago

The remedial work was carried out so the premises were safe.
Looks like she was prosecuted, not for an unsafe installation, but for not having the piece of paper.
Interesting that the fine was only £180, but the court costs were nearl 7-times that. When I sell the last of my properties I think I'll start up my own court, seems quite lucrative.
Who gets the £72 victim surcharge?

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