Landlord pays the price for fire trap house

A landlord in Bury, Great Manchester, has been ordered to pay almost £20,000 for breaching fire safety regulations.

Zohar Khan of Hampton Grove, Bury, was fined £17,000, ordered to pay Greater Manchester Fire & Rescue Service (GMFRS) £2,223 in costs, and a £120 victim surcharge, following a hearing at Bury and Rochdale Magistrates Court on 2 June.

The 45-year-old pleaded guilty to five offences under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 at a house in multiple occupancy on Walmersley Road, Bury.

The court heard there were combustible items in the hall and landings, which would have helped a fire take hold and spread quickly.

There were no fire doors and holes in the ceilings which meant a fire in any part of the property would have quickly spread with smoke and toxic gases blocking the only escape route.

There was no way of warning tenants about a fire as the fire alarm was faulty and switched off and a battery operated smoke detector which had been fitted was in the wrong place and could not be heard in the bedsits.

Abigail Hudson, prosecuting for GMFRS, said: "A fire anywhere would quickly fill the only escape route with smoke. If the electrics failed, the lack of emergency lighting would mean the escape route would be dark and filled with smoke becoming impassable."

Speaking in Khan's defence Stephen Rees told the court Khan had not realised the property was classified as a HMO.

Rees said his client has fully accepted that the property was inadequate and that HMOs presented different risks to residents.

The court heard how Khan has since carried out work to bring the property up to standard and has leased it to Serco for four years.

Fining Khan £3,400 for each offence, Lynn Smith JP, Chair of the Bench, said: "The court takes these charges very seriously. There was a significant risk to every occupant of the property. You are a landlord of 20 properties and your negligence could have caused the death of or injury to your tenants."

Geoff Harris, assistant county fire officer at GMFRS, said: "This is another case of a landlord collecting rent from multiple tenants without giving any thought to their safety.

"The fine should send a clear message to private landlords to make sure they understand their responsibilities and make their properties safe.

"The cost of making this property safe would have been a fraction of the amount Mr Khan must now pay and he has a criminal record"