A private landlord in Hull has narrowly escaped a prison sentence after exposing tenants to a risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
The judge at the trial of landlord Colin Hanson said he had “blatantly and deliberately disregarded” a law protecting tenants from the potentially fatal consequences of defective gas work.
Mr Hanson had a “reckless” attitude towards his tenants safety and Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspector Mark Welsh said: “Mr Hanson’s reckless attitude toward people’s safety in a property rented by him persisted despite several warnings.”
Problems arose when a Gas Safe Register engineer found an immediately dangerous defect on the gas fire in the lounge. HSE discovered the tenant had not been given a landlord’s gas safety record in more than two years, nor had any work or servicing been carried out by any registered engineer on behalf of Mr Hanson.
It is the law that landlords must have a gas safety check carried out by a registered engineer every 12 months.
Mr Hanson pleaded guilty to two breaches of gas safety regulations and failure to comply with an Improvement Notice. He was jailed for 16 weeks, suspended for 12 months, ordered to undertake 260 hours of unpaid work and told to pay £500 towards the prosecution costs.
The property must now carry out a gas safety check in the next 28 days.
