Now, the landlords Yu Chang has to pay more than £6,000 for flouting house in multiple occupation laws at Cambridge Magistrates court.
Magistrates heard the fire alarm was ‘inadequate’ and the house had no clear fire escape routes.
Watch Commander Sean Hedger said: “This incident was minutes away from being a fatality. The bedroom doors were poor quality, offering little resistance to the fire and were lockable by padlocks. The hallway was partially blocked with two large fridge freezers hindering the means of escape.”
The student who leapt from the fire was not injured.
Chang pleaded guilty to five HMO management offences and was fined £6,075 with £525 costs.
Catherine Smart, city councillor responsible for housing issues, said: “This was a serious incident that could easily have had a tragic outcome. The circumstances that led to this case must serve as a reminder to landlords and property managers that unsafe housing cannot be ignored.”
“Being a landlord is a serious responsibility and paramount importance must be given to the safety of their tenants. The council will continue to work with landlords and property managers to raise the standard of private rented accommodation and will take all necessary action to protect those living in this city from unsafe housing.”
69 guilty of squatting
Meanwhile, new criminal laws against squatting that came into force a year ago have seen 69 people go before the courts, says the Crown Prosecution Service.
Most were found guilty of the offence and fined around £100, others were given conditional discharges and one offender was jailed for 90 days.
