One of the many items on the long list of things that landlords must do to secure the safety of their tenants is a regular boiler check. It now seems that failing to make that check can have quite dire consequences.
According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), a landlord was fined quite heavily after a boiler they failed to have checked flooded their tenanted property with carbon monoxide. Graham Barnes was ordered to pay nearly £10K in fines and costs for not having the gas appliances of his rental property properly checked.
HSE inspector Dozie Azubike said “the incident was a clear case of a property professional putting people at risk by ignoring his responsibilities. As a result of the boiler not being serviced, carbon monoxide leaked into the kitchen creating a very dangerous environment.”
Under UK law you are required as a landlord to have one gas appliance and boiler check carried out on each of your properties every twelve months. Not doing so can clearly cost you dearly as in the case of Mr Barnes.
I know I have said this before but it is not just the financial risks of ignoring safety legislation we have to worry about. If something did go wrong in one of your properties, causing severe injury or even death, then you would have to live with your conscience. For me, that is the scariest bit of all.
