A landlord has been fined more than £4,000 for breaches of fire and safety regulations.
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Liverpool Magistrates Court was told that in one flat In Hartington Road ,Toxteth owned by Farad Motamedi there was a hole in the ceiling through which rainwater poured on to a live light fitting and the tenant had been so frightened of being electrocuted that she had wrapped a plastic bag around the light fitment.
Environmental Health Officers who inspected the house, which had been converted into six self-contained flats, also found
- The fire alarm wasn’t working,
- There were holes in ceilings and walls
- Fire doors throughout the property were holed and damaged and didn’t fit properly in their doorframes and would not provide the required 30 minute fire separation to allow time for escape in the event of fire.
- There was damp and mould and no proper heating in the building.
The house conversion had also not been carried out to current building standards.
A further inspection three months later in November 2012 found that little had been done to put the faults right.
In court Motamedi claimed that all the faults were due to the tenants who had misused and vandalised the property. He did not believe that it was his responsibility to maintain the flats but something the tenants should do.
Motamadi, of Tarbock Road, Huyton, was found guilty of 17 charges. He was fined a total of £4,100 and ordered to pay the council costs of £4,000.
District Judge Wendy Lloyd said that he had a casual to the point of indifference regard for the safety of his tenants and that it was entirely right that the Council brought the prosecution as he had put people’s lives at risk.
Councillor Ann O’Byrne, cabinet member for housing, said “These regulations were brought in when it was recognised that tenants in poorly converted self-contained flat were at a great a risk of dying in a fire.
“It is appalling that a landlord should have such a cavalier attitude to the safety of his tenants and put profit first. We do not want this type of landlord operating in Liverpool and we will take action when we find such flagrant disregard for life”
