Fire escape at HMO was ‘dangerous’

Landlord fined for breaches at home

A Peterborough landlord has been fined after a House of Multiple Occupation he ran was found to be dangerous. Mohammed Ali ran the HMO in Padholme Road, Peterborough. When inspectors visited, theyfound breachesoffire safety regulations.

Ali, also of Padholme Road was found guilty at Peterborough Magistrates’ Court of six offences relating to regulations that are required to safely operateaHMO, onethat wasalready subject to a prohi- bition order.

He was f i ned £ 500 for breaching the prohibition order and £500 for each of the five HMO breaches, a total of £3,000, along with the council’s costs of £2,263 and a £50 victim surcharge.

The court heard that the city’s Prevention andEnforcement Service was alerted to a property on Padholme Road, following information reported to Cambridgeshire Police.

Oninspection, the propertywasfoundtohavebeenrentedouttoafamilyinbreachofa prohibition order which prevented the occupation of the dwelling due to its dangerous condition. Three adults and a child were sharing a small kitchen spaceandabathroom in the home.

The fire escape route was in a dangerous condition with trip hazardsandelectrical appliances located in the escape route, furthermore the fire alarms were not working.

Occupants had to use padlocks to secure their bedrooms and the front door to the property, which in the event of an emergency could trap someone inside. Finally no valid gas safety checks or electrical safety information were available for the property and Ali was unable to provide that information upon request.