Landlord legislation ‘must be taken seriously’, the HSE says

Landlords have been told to ensure that gas appliances are installed correctly at their properties.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) issued the warning following the prosecution of landlord Helen Jayne Beckett of Ilkley. Ms Beckett was fined £1,000 and ordered to pay £1,500 costs after she failed to act on a gas improvement notice from the HSE.

It was found that Ms Beckett's negligence put her tenant at serious risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. Steven Kay, and inspector for the HSE, commented:

"Landlords are legally required to comply with Gas Safety regulations, and the HSE is concerned there may be other property owners like Ms Beckett who are not fulfilling their responsibilities and who may be putting their tenants at risk.

"These measures are in place for a reason because if left unchecked, faulty gas appliances can have devastating consequences. This important legislation needs to be taken seriously by landlords to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning or even death."

Earlier this year, property manager Sandeep Rajput of Halesowen was fined £1,200 after two tenants fell ill with suspected carbon monoxide poisoning due to an unsafe gas fire at his wife's property.

30/10/09