Two landlords have been slapped with fines after a double prosecution from Hull City Council found the pair had been guilty of neglecting safety precautions at the respective properties.

In the first case, inspectors found fire escape routes to the six flats blocked and in a poor state of repair and poor lighting in the event of an emergency.

The council were tipped off after receiving two complaints about conditions at the property.

Landlord and manager Mr John Holmes was fined a total of £1,600 and was ordered to pay £682 costs and a £125 victim surcharge for failing to adequately manage a house in multiple occupation.

In the second case, landlord Mr Ashraf Khan ignored an improvement notice issued by the council after officers found a number of problems with a first-floor flat, situated above a takeaway restaurant.

Inspectors found electrical faults, defects to the windows and inadequate fire precautions at the property and fined Mr Khan a total of £660, as well as ordering him to pay costs of £504, and a victim surcharge of £66.

He was also told to carry out £10,000 of improvement works arranged by the council.

Councillor John Black, portfolio holder for housing, said: "We have a duty to protect private sector tenants and this proves that we take our role seriously.

"Legal action and completing improvement works in default of a non-compliant landlord is always a last resort.

"We tried to work with each landlord, one of whom is also the manager of the house in multiple occupation, to reach a satisfactory conclusion but the work remained uncompleted, which is why we had no choice but to take this enforcement action."

Original source

Hull Daily Mail