Landlords pay out £27,500 for breaking fire safety rules
Two private landlords have been ordered to pay a combined total of £27,500 in fines and costs after they were found guilty of breaching fire safety laws at a house in Hatfield.
In Watford Magistrates Court recently, landlords Audrey Feegrado and Fiaz Mahmmud pleaded guilty to five violations of the Housing (Management of Houses in Multiple Occupation) Regulations 2006.
Amongst others, the fire safety breaches included:
- Failure to maintain fire alarms and fire fighting equipment in good working order
- Failure to keep means of escape free from obstruction
- Failure to take steps to protect residents from injury
Commenting on the case, the chief executive of Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council, Michel Saminaden, said:
“These severe breaches of fire safety regulations could have resulted in fatalities. It is something that this council, as the responsible authority for private sector housing, takes very seriously and we are working hard to ensure that high standards are maintained to ensure the safety of our residents.”
The pair were fined £11,500 each, as well as being ordered to pay £2,225 each in court costs. Had the landlords undergone even a basic fire safety awareness course, this massive payout could have been avoided.