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Hatfield property firm’s £40,000 fire safety fine “must be worrying for renters”

A Welwyn Garden City property expert thinks a court case which saw a Hertfordshire lettings agent fined tens of thousands of pounds for fire safety failings “must be extremely worrying for renters and landlords alike”.

Hatfield lettings agents Strats Estate and Letting Agentswere last month ordered to pay £41,200 in fines and costs after admitting multiple breaches of health and safety law, in a case brought by Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council.

Offences included faulty fire doors, defective smoke alarms, insecure handrails and even locked fire escapes.

Watford Magistrates fined the firm £16,200 for 13 breaches of the Management of Houses in Multiple Occupation Regulations of 2006 and costs of £25,000.

Local lettings expert Kevin Harris from KIS Lettings Welwyn Garden City and Hatfield believes the lettings industry needs to improve its reputation and worries that this case “doesn’t help at all”.

He said: “The Welwyn and Hatfield area is home to many excellent property companies and personally I’ve only ever heard positive things about Strats - so it’s reassuring to hear that the magistrate in this case commended the company for getting their act together

“Nonetheless, this should never have happened. Cases like this must be extremely worrying for renters and landlords alike - not to mention very frustrating for those of us who are keen to improve the reputation of the lettings industry.

“If you rent your home, you have a right to expect that your property is safe. It shouldn’t even need saying.

“Landlords who use lettings agents have a right to expect the people they are paying to provide them with expert advice and guidance are on top of issues like this – it shouldn’t need an ex-policeman like me to tell them that if they don’t meet their legal responsibilities they’re risking huge fines or even jail!

“My guess is that most landlords who do fall foul of laws like these aren’t crooked or uncaring – they’re often just DIY operators who don’t appreciate how complicated and ever-changing landlord law is and need a little on professional support.

“But they need to know they can trust the people they go to for that support, and people need to know they can trust letting agents. Sadly, this case doesn’t help at all.”

Licenses for houses of multiple occupation – typically flat shares and student houses rented out by at least three people who are not part of the same ‘household’ (such as a family) but sharing kitchens and bathrooms – are mandatory for landlords, with Renting out a HMO places additional responsibilities on landlords, including:

Additional fire safety measures – including smoke alarms safety certificates for all electrical appliances are. Supplying their local council an updated gas safety certificate every year. Ensuring their property is not overcrowded, with shared areas kept in a good condition with adequate cooking and washing facilities.

Applying for a separate license for every HMO they rent out and renewing them at least every five years. Various other obligations, as determined by individual local authorities.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by John Hart .