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Dawlish landlord fined £4,000 for unsafe home
by the Devon Week · December 4, 2014
A Teignbridge landlord has been fined £4,000 for renting out an unsafe property.
Curtis Betteridge was prosecuted for failing to comply with an improvement notice to his property. He was asked to carry out works on a flat he rented out so it met necessary regulations for Legionnaires Disease and Fire and Safety regulations.
The case was heard before South Devon Magistrates, sitting in Torquay, on Tuesday December 2. Mr Betteridge did not attend and Teignbridge successfully applied for the case to be proved in his absence.
Mr Betteridge is the leaseholder of Flat 2, 2 Iddesleigh Terrace, Dawlish. The flat is in an older house that has been converted into flats classed as a House in Multiple Occupation (HMOs).
There are extra management obligations for HMOs especially in terms of fire safety and how they are managed. Other properties in the building meet all the necessary regulations and are rented out separately. None of the others are owned by Mr Betteridge.
Under the Housing Act 2004 and the newly revised Hcop L8 landlords should ensure any property provided for accommodation is free from any risk of harm to the health and safety of an actual or potential occupier of a dwelling.
