Community Order for landlord over gas breach

A landlord has been fined and sentenced to a 12-month community order for failing to maintain gas appliances at a rental property.

Colchester Magistrates’ Court heard how landlord Hannah Leek failed in her duty to have the gas appliances at her rental property in Tendring, Essex, regularly inspected and maintained and failed to provide a Landlord Gas Safety Record, all of which are legal requirements.  

Leek also failed to comply with an Improvement Notice issued by an HSE inspector which required her to take action to deal with these issues.

Leek, from Loughborough, pleaded guilty to breaching the Gas Safety Installation and Use Regulations 1998, Regulation 36(3)(a), Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, Section 21 and Section 20(2)(j) and was sentenced to a 12-month community order and 100 hours of unpaid work and ordered to pay costs of £3,292.05 and a victim surcharge of £85.

After the hearing HSE inspector Carla Barron said: “Landlords must ensure gas appliances at their tenanted properties are maintained in a safe condition and are checked by a Gas Safe Register engineer at least every 12 months.

An HSE spokesperson added: “HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards.”

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