Hull landlord exposed tenants to risk of carbon monoxide poisoning
A PRIVATE landlord has been given a suspended prison sentence for exposing tenants to a risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Colin Hanson, 55, "blatantly and deliberately disregarded" a law protecting tenants from the potentially fatal consequences of defective gas work.
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THE LAW: Landlords must have a gas safety check carried out by a registered engineer every 12 months.
Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspector Mark Welsh said: "Mr Hanson's reckless attitude toward people's safety in a property rented by him persisted despite several warnings and HSE will not hesitate to bring such offences before a court."
The prosecution was brought by the HSE after Mr Hanson failed to respond to requests to provide a landlord's gas safety certificate for a house he rented out in Alliance Avenue.
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Hull magistrates heard he then ignored an enforcement notice served by HSE, giving him three weeks to have the gas check done.
When an inspector phoned him before the Improvement Notice expired in June 2011, he refused to have the work carried out.
A subsequent visit to the tenant's home by a Gas Safe Register engineer found an immediately dangerous defect on the gas fire in the lounge.
HSE discovered the tenant had not been given a landlord's gas safety record in more than two years, nor had any work or servicing been carried out by any registered engineer on behalf of Mr Hanson.
Colin Hanson, of Goddard Avenue, pleaded guilty to two breaches of gas safety regulations and failure to comply with an Improvement Notice.
He was jailed for 16 weeks, suspended for 12 months, ordered to undertake 260 hours of unpaid work and told to pay £500 towards the prosecution costs.
Mr Hanson also received a court order giving him 28 days to carry out a gas safety check for the Alliance Avenue property.
Speaking after the court case, Mr Welsh said: "There is no doubt that Mr Hanson, despite being given several opportunities over many weeks to fulfil his legal duties toward the tenant, intentionally chose to ignore them all.
"All landlords are legally required to ensure that gas appliances installed in their rented properties are properly maintained and have a gas safety check carried out by a registered engineer every 12 months. A copy of the gas certificate should then go to the tenant.
"Lack of such a check can mean dangerous defects are not identified, defects that can lead to carbon monoxide exposure or even explosions."
All gas engineers have to be Gas Safe-registered by law. You can check an engineer is registered by visiting www.gassaferegister.co.uk or calling 0800 4085500.
3 Comments
by JayOnly
Sunday, March 03 2013, 2:05PM
“Private landlords, often subsidised by the Housing Benefit, don't like spending, simple as that...they're are only in it for the money, so why would anyone expect a business to voluntarily spend cash. All rented properties should be made to have an alarm fitted and the gas checked by a GENUINE engineer.”
by funky15
Sunday, March 03 2013, 2:32AM
“add him to a long list of private landlords who fail to do the right thing”
by Robye
Saturday, March 02 2013, 12:16PM
“It would have been cheaper for this cheat to have produced a gas safe certificate.
Talk about been short sighted.”