HSE warns rented property owners of need for regular maintanence

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has issued a new warning for owners of UK rented property to check and maintain gas appliances, following the recent prosecution of a landlord.

Sajida Kausar Ali of St Ives was ordered to pay £4,000 in costs after she failed to comply with an improvement notice requiring gas safety checks to be carried out. She was also charged with failure to maintain gas appliances and to remove gas appliances from rooms used for sleeping.

Checks were made at the home to ensure that tenants were not at risk, but it was discovered that of 10 defects found, three were “immediately dangerous” and three were “at risk”.

These included two gas leaks and a poorly maintained open-flued gas fire, located in a room used as sleeping accommodation used for a lengthy period by a young married couple with a new baby.

HSE inspector Stephen Manley warned that every year, “people die needlessly due to a lack of effective maintenance of gas appliances”.

Topics