Three owners of rented accommodation have been fined over a thousand pounds each after firefighters discovered serious issues at adjoining flats. 

The HMO premises, which was home to 11 people at the time, presented a serious risk to life due to the lack of fire resistant compartmentation and the lack of a working fire alarm.

After the inspection in December 2018, Sunderland Fire Service placed a prohibition notice on both blocks of flats. 

The property owners and managing agent, Mohammedsalem Sabbar Mahdi, Abdullateef Sabbar Mahdi and Mr Ahmed Khattab were found guilty of failing to reply to an Article 27 notice and fined nearly two thousand pounds each at Sunderland Magistrates’ Court.

Fiona Brown, Executive Director of Neighbourhood Services at Sunderland City Council said: “As a council we have a duty to protect the public so we are pleased to have been successful in bringing this case to court."

Original Source 
Sunderland Echo