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TODAY'S OTHER NEWS

Landlord given huge £170k fine for serious fire safety failings

A landlord in Reading has been handed a huge fine for serious breaches of fire safety regulations. 

Philip Brotherton's company Cresctcourt Properties was fined £177,000 after he pleaded guilty to four charges under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.

Brotherton appeared at Reading Magistrates' Court on August 24. According to a report in the Reading Chronicle, the prosecution was brought after fire safety officers found a number of serious issues in one of Brotherton’s HMO properties in Reading.

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The failings included smoke alarms not working, a lack of fire doors and an external escape route in a poor state of repair.

"We hope that the significant level of this fine will send a clear message to all property owners that they have a duty to keep our communities safe and if they put anyone at risk by breaking the law, we won’t hesitate to prosecute,” said Simon Jefferies, assistant chief fire officer for Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service.

Poll: Will a fine of this size deter other landlords from neglecting their fire safety responsibilities?

PLACE YOUR VOTE BELOW

  • S l
    • S l
    • 07 September 2018 10:08 AM

    surely if the council wanted to impose hmo licence and fees, they should be doing their job and inform landlord of the hmo failings and give them time to fix the problem. often the council let the power go to their head and like to exercise their power to show their authority rather than to help those who needed help and guidance. landlord are not experts and do need help and guidance. if previous years, they have better attitude and helpfulness than now. everyone like to shove their power to show how good they are. slum nightmare tenants causing huge issues of damp and mould are deem as landlord slum issues. the lack of proper usage of their power towards tenants instead of landlord had caused grievances towards landlord and allow an increase of nightmare tenants who knows they get away scot free from their responsibilities under their contract because the council and other authorities are targetting the landlord instead of looking at the real issues of nightmare tenant claiming not their job. so those who aim to stand on their own two feet and try private landlord should just give up and go on benefit street. it would have been easier than to face the power that might be

  • S l
    • S l
    • 10 October 2018 21:54 PM

    its a shame that powers are being used to shove into the face of landlord making an example of them rather than helping and advising to create goodwill and enhance knowledge so that the law would not be broken. Perhaps they are aiming at the corporate landlords and impose such a high penalty but for the smalltimers who are trying their hands on being a landlord, they would need more guidance and advice. When the council go around doing their checks, they are suppose to give a timeframe to let landlords rectify the problems. it is not right they go on a hunting trip to check on hmo and sue without appropriate notice and time frame to fix the problems.

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