Manjit Chima – a landlord based in Leamington, Warwickshire – has been fined after it was discovered that he had failed to ensure the property he rented out to multiple tenants met safety standards.
The property in question was two storeys high and had been split into seven bedsits.
However, when firefighters were called to the property, in order to put out a fire that started in the communal kitchen, they found that both doors providing access to the room had been removed.
As a result, the fire could have spread throughout the rest of the property, including the stairs, which would have blocked them as a potential escape route for tenants on the first floor.
Upon further inspection by the fire services and Warwick council, the property’s fire alarm was found to be defective and Mr Chima failed to produce any relevant service records.
As well as being unable to present inspectors with safety certificates for the gas and electrical appliances, the landlord was also found to have turned a garage and outbuilding into additional bedsits, but no fire escape windows had been installed.
Mr Chima was fined a total of £10,744 by Nuneaton Magistrates’ Court after failing to properly manage his property and putting his tenants’ lives at risk, and the serious nature of his offences was emphasised in court.
Landlords are being reminded that they have a legal duty to follow all fire, electrical, and gas safety regulations when letting out their properties to tenants.