E-bike fire leads to fine for landlord over unsafe HM...

A landlord has been fined over £3,800 for letting out an unsafe and unlicensed HMO.

South Gloucestershire council issued the landlord a Civil Penalty Notice after a number of HMO offences were identified at a two-storey terraced property in Filton housing five people.

The council was first alerted to the property in June 2023 when a tenant complained to the council about the landlord failing to complete repairs following an E-bike fire that occurred after Easter. It was also reported that the property was occupied by five people as a HMO although no HMO licence had been applied for.

The council carried out an inspection which confirmed that the property was being occupied as a HMO and also identified a number of potentially dangerous defects. Fire and smoke damage was evident in the kitchen area of the property where an E-bike had been left on charge, during which the battery overheated and exploded.

Avon Fire and Rescue Service attended swiftly to extinguish the fire and evacuate all occupants, resulting in no casualties.

An assessment using the Housing, Health & Safety Rating System under Part 1 of the Housing Act 2004 confirmed that there were Category 1 hazards for Fire and Electrical hazards and a Category 2 hazard for lighting. A Civil Penalty Notice including a financial penalty of £3,883 was then issued.

A council spokesperson says: “I’m pleased to see this penalty and fine issued to the landlord, who showed no regard for the safety of the people who rented this property.

“The licensing of HMOs enables the council to check conditions and take action where housing and management standards are not met. In addition, checks are made to ensure licence holders and people involved in the management of the properties are fit and proper to do so. Failing to licence a property as in this case, can put the health and safety of tenants at risk.

“Where we identify unlicensed HMOs our Private Sector Housing Team will look to prosecute or use Civil Penalties against the owners or managers. Our message to the landlords of HMOs is simple; licence your properties before we find them.”

South Gloucestershire has approximately 740 licensed HMOs.

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