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Bath & North East Somerset Council has revealed that it has successfully prosecuted a landlord who was breaching numerous fire safety regulations at a house he owned in the Bath area.

Mr Hei Ting Chung was prosecuted following a complaint and a subsequent inspection of The Oval premises by officers from the council’s Housing Services Team. They found fire alarms which did not work, door locks that were unsuitable and could trap residents in the event of a fire, and also there was no door to the kitchen to prevent fire from spreading.

The council issued an Improvement Notice to the landlord, but he did not respond sufficiently to avoid prosecution. Mr Cheung was fined a total of £1,150 for breaching fire safety regulations, as well as being ordered to pay £150 in court costs and £15 per victim.

Commenting on the case, Councillor Tim Ball, the council’s Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning, said:

“Landlords must ensure that their housing is in safe condition or feel the full force of the law. They must get their houses in order.”

If landlords are not aware of their responsibilities with regard to fire safety, it is recommended that they undertake a fire safety course to learn all they need to know to protect tenants and adhere to regulations.