Shared house landlords must pay more than £5,000 in fines and costs for flouting fire safety laws in a house in multiple occupation (HMO).
Motiur Rahman and Ashikur Rahman admitted the six offences during the hearing at Boston Magistrates Court, Lincolnshire, and were ordered to pay £5,400 in fines and costs.
The brothers were reported to the fire service by a worried tenant who feared his home would be unsafe if a fire broke out.
Health & Safety Executive inspectors found that fire safety was so poor in the HMO in the town that tenants on upper floors had no escape route in the event of an emergency.
Landlord banned after shooting threat
A millionaire property investor cannot let properties in Edinburgh councillors refused to allow him to join a list of registered landlords after he was convicted of threatening to shoot tenants.
Mark Fortune had a heated row with tenants over who paid a £160 repair bill to one of his properties and threatened to shoot them.
Councillor Gavin Barrie, convener of the council’s regulatory committee, said Mark Fortune acted unlawfully and was not a fit and proper person under housing laws who could run HMOs in the city.
“Private rented property is an important part of the housing market in Edinburgh and Landlord Registration laws have an important part to play in ensuring tenants and neighbours can live their lives safe from crime, disorder and danger,” said the councillor.
The decision to not grant the HMO licence sends a clear message to good landlords that action will be taken against those who do not comply with the law, Mr Barrie added.
Bogus gas engineer falsified safety certificates
Boiler engineer Steven Nurse lied when telling landlords he was a registered gas fitter and handed out 10 forged safety certificates, leading them to believe their properties were safe for tenants.
In fact, he badly fitted a boiler in one home with a faulty flue that could have allowed poison gases to escape inside the property.
Mr Nurse also lied about being a Gas Safe engineer and signed off his work with the registration number of another fitter.
He admitted the breach of gas safety regulations and received a suspended jail sentence. He was also told to pay £2,000 in fines, £500 in costs and £1,000 compensation to the landlords he had duped.
