Landlord prosecuted 'for not having boiler service'

Article date : 05/02/2010

Carbon monoxide flooded the kitchen of a property after a landlord failed to have a boiler service, it has been reported.

According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), landlord Graham Barnes, 49, from Bicester Road in Kidlington was fined £8,000 and ordered to pay £1,957.70 in costs for not having the gas appliances of the home he rented out checked for safety or correctly maintained, despite warnings.

By law, UK landlords must schedule at least one gas appliance and boiler service a year with a boiler engineer from the Gas Safety Register.

A gas safety certificate must then be given to the tenants.

HSE inspector Dozie Azubike said the incident was a "clear case" of a property professional putting people at risk by ignoring his responsibilities.

"As a result of the boiler not being serviced, carbon monoxide leaked into the kitchen creating a very dangerous environment," he added.

The HSE has also reported an unregistered boiler engineer has been prosecuted for installing gas appliances at a caravan park.

Written by Tony Harrison

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