Landlord fined for gas safety breaches

A private landlord has been prosecuted after failing to maintain gas appliances at his rental property in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire.

Llanelli Magistrates’ Court found the landlord, Gous Ahmed, guilty of breaching Regulation 36 (1) of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, and handed him a fine of over £15,000 and made him pay costs of £2,500, amounting to a total outlay of £17,790.

The rental property in Haverfordwest was inspected by British Gas in February 2015 and they found the boiler and fire to be ‘immediately dangerous’ putting the residing tenant at potential risk of harm.

On further investigation, the Health and Safety Executive discovered that the landlord had not obtained the required Landlord Gas Safety Record for the rental property.

Despite improvement enforcement action by the Health and Safety Executive and various letters from Pembrokeshire council officers, the landlord failed to obtain the Landlord Gas Safety Record.

Following the case Health and Safety Executive inspector Simon Breen commented: ‘Mr Ahmed put the residents and other members of the public at risk of harm by failing to maintain gas appliances in the domestic property.

He added: “Landlords and duty holder must ensure they obtain a Landlord Gas Safety Record and they maintain all gas appliances in accordance with the law.”

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