A private landlord from Cornwall has been given a 12-month prison sentence suspended for 24 months, fined £5,000, and ordered to pay costs of £5,524, after failing to maintain gas appliances at his rental properties on St Thomas Road, Launceston.

Truro Crown Court was told that the landlord, David Bush, failed to maintain the gas appliances in the two properties, which were not inspected by a registered Gas Safe Register engineer.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) also revealed that Bush failed to obtain Landlord Gas Safety Records (LGSR) after May 2014, while the appliances had not been serviced for at least four years.

The landlord was punished after pleading guilty to breaching Regulations 36 (2)(a) and 36 (3)(a) of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, and Regulation 3(2) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.

Following the hearing, HSE inspector, Simon Jones, said: “Mr Bush put the residents and other members of the public at risk of harm by failing to maintain gas appliances in the domestic property.

“Landlords must ensure they obtain a Landlord’s Gas Safety Record and maintain all gas appliances in accordance with the law.”