A CHESTER landlord who ignored repeated warnings about gas safety at a house she was renting out has been fined.
Nahida Hashim, 28, failed to arrange for gas safety checks to be carried out at the house on Queens Avenue, Chester, for two years.
West Cheshire Magistrates’ Court heard Hashim was told on several occasions a registered gas engineer needed to visit the house.
Landlords are legally required to arrange annual gas safety checks of their properties to ensure the safety of tenants.
Hashim was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) after she failed to arrange an inspection by a registered engineer between October, 2009 and October, 2011.
The court was told Hashim was first contacted by a housing standards officer from Cheshire West and Chester Council in May, 2011 who wanted to see a copy of the landlord gas safety record for the property.
HSE wrote to her on two occasions in July when she failed to respond to the council’s request but did not receive a reply.
HSE issued Hashim with an improvement notice in September giving her 21 days to arrange a gas safety check and provide proof it had been carried out. It was again ignored.
Hashim admitted breaching the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 and the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 by failing to arrange an annual gas safety check and failing to comply with an improvement notice.
Hashim, of Tarvin Road, Littleton, was fined £400 and was ordered to pay £1,000 prosecution costs.
Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Martin Paren said: “Hashim was given three chances to arrange a gas safety check before we issued an Improvement Notice, but even then she still failed to take any action.
“Unsafe gas appliances are responsible for dozens of deaths from carbon monoxide poisoning in the UK every year. That is why it’s a legal requirement for landlords to arrange checks.
“This case should act as a warning to landlords that if they ignore the law they may find themselves in court.”