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Jail threat for landlord who broke gas safety laws By Simon Thompson |
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A block of flats was evacuated and a young girl spent the night in hospital after dangerous carbon monoxide gas escaped from a faulty boiler in a rented flat.
The eight-year-old and her parents were treated in hospital after the gas escape triggered an alarm in the flat above their ground-floor home in Catford, South London.
Westminster Magistrates Court heard how the carbon monoxide spread and led to the evacuation of the entire block of flats, as well as their disconnection from the gas supply.
Landlord David MacDonald, of Camberwell Green, London, pleaded guilty to two separate breaches of the gas safety rules and was sentenced to six months in jail, suspended for two years, ordered to carry out 200 hours community service and to pay £8,211 in costs.
Health & Safety Executive inspector Kevin Shorten said of the prosecution: "As a landlord, he is legally responsible for the safety of his tenants in relation to gas checks, and in failing to properly maintain the boiler he placed them, and others, in grave danger.
"I hope today's prosecution sends a clear message to all landlords that they mustn't shirk or ignore their responsibilities because the consequences can be devastating."
In a separate case, a landlord who ignored repeated requests to supply buy to let gas safety certificates to her local council was ordered to pay £4,500 fines and costs by magistrates.
Lichfield Council, Staffordshire, asked Liane Dewsbury to provide the certificates for two letting houses in Queen Street, Burntwood.
South Walls Magistrates Court heard council officers asked her to show them proof gas boilers had undergone annual safety checks.
Eventually, the council issued improvement notices for each house, but Dewsbury still failed to produce one of the certificates by the deadline. The second was delivered four months late.
Dewsbury, of Main Road, Milford, Stafford,admitting to breaching gas safety laws and was fined £1,500 and ordered to pay £3,209 costs.
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Landlords warned - prepare for more regulation |
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Landlords in England are being warned that they should prepare for more regulation after the government published a consultation.
The warning comes from Tim Miles who is a partner at law firm Clarke Willmott.
He says that the Government is cons |
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Research reveals that 2017’s rents fell in real terms |
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The rents being paid to landlords in all parts of the UK fell in real terms during 2017, research suggests.
The findings from HomeLet reveal that rents in November rose by 0.7%.
That's the 11th straight month that rent increases have fallen beh |
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Rents for the UK’s rental properties rise by 2.1% |
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The average rent for a buy to let property grew by 2.1% in the year to September, an index has revealed.
The figures from HomeLet show that the average rent now being paid is £927 every month.
For landlords in London, rents rose by 1.9% o |
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Landlords start exiting the buy to let sector |
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One leading firm of letting agents is warning that buy to let investors are beginning to exit the sector.
The warning comes from Belvoir who say that while the numbers of landlords leaving is not huge, there is a trend appearing.
The firm's chi |
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Landlord confidence takes a knock |
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Despite the prospect of high yields and profitability, a survey has revealed the landlord confidence around the UK has fallen.
The findings from BM Solutions looked at all the key indicators for the second quarter of 2017.
They say that the lev |
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Landlords 'don't know what tenants want' |
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Landlords in the private rental sector are out of touch with their tenant’s wants and needs, according to new research.
The findings from an online letting agent revealed that tenants are clear most often about what they want and t |
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