A landlord who put more than a dozen tenants at risk by failing to fit fire doors or to ensure that fire alarms were working has been fined £2,800 by Woolwich Magistrates Court. He was also ordered to pay the Council's costs of £1,939.37.
In total, Charles Hawkes pleaded guilty to 17 offences relating to a three-storey house in Glenluce Road, Blackheath. The house is converted into 12 separate rooms, each let to one or two tenants.
Mr Hawkes' first offence was failure to obtain a licence for a house in multiple occupation, which landlords are required to do under the Housing Act 2004.
Other offences, which the Council brought to magistrate's attention following an inspection by Environmental Health Officers in February 2008, related to:
- the fire alarm system, which was inoperative
fire extinguishers which had not been inspected for four years
- a lack of fire doors to the individual flats/rooms
- lack of gas safety certification, electrical
- installation certification, fire alarm or emergency lighting certificates
- cracked ceilings
- cracked WC pan
- worn and dirty carpets
- a dangerous, poorly guarded balcony at the rear
The court heard that since the action was launched a further inspection has taken place to ensure that the hazards have been removed, remedial works carried out and safety regulations complied with.
Cr Maureen O’Mara, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhood Services, said: “Landlords have a legal and moral duty to ensure their tenants are not put at risk, and the law gives local councils powers to take landlords to court where we consider they are not fulfilling their duties.
“Our approach to landlords is to offer advice in the first instance to enable them to put things right. Where landlords fail to take that advice, we won’t hesitate in using our powers and bring those landlords to court.”
