Landlords 'must take health and safety seriously'
Published: 06-Jul-2007
Residential landlords have been warned that they must make sure their properties are safe - or face hefty fines.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said that landlords had a duty to make sure things like gas appliances are in good working order so as to protect the safety of people renting.
Recently, two landlords were fined a total of £5,000 over an incident when a faulty gas-powered warm air heater in their rented property hospitalised a mother and two children with carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning.
During the HSE investigation into the incident it was found that the appliance had not been cleaned, checked or maintained since 1996.
At the trial, the presiding magistrate expressed concern that buy-to-let landlords were not taking their health and safety responsibilities seriously.
"We want to send a clear signal to private landlords to look after the health and interest of their tenants instead of their own financial interests," he added.
HSE inspector Andrew Withers said: "I am pleased the court took this matter so seriously and I believe this will be a real deterrent for landlords who don't pay attention to their duties.
"Keeping gas appliances in a safe condition and having a competent person to maintain them is not hard to arrange.
"Landlords need to realise they can potentially face charges of manslaughter if they fail in their duties and someone dies as a result."
