Following a fire on 14th March 2013 at 15 Nuttings Rd in Cambridge, the landlord Mr Yu Chang of Ditton Fields Cambridge, was prosecuted on the 5th September 2013 by Cambridge City Council for five breaches of the Management of Houses in Multiple Occupation (England) Regulations 2006. Mr Chang was fined a total of £6075, £125 Victim surcharge and £400 costs.
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The Regulations impose a duty on landlords and property managers to protect the occupiers of the House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) from injury, having regard to the design of the HMO, and the number of occupiers of the HMO. They also require the manager of the HMO to provide current electrical and gas safety records to the local authority.
In the early hours of the morning on the 14th March 2013, a fire started in the first floor front bedroom at 15 Nuttings Rd.
At the time of the fire, the house was occupied by six students who were studying at Anglia Ruskin University. The fire service was called and on arrival the fire was fully developed, some of the occupants had escaped from the property but it was reported that there was one person still inside. Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus were committed to tackle the incident.
One of the tenants subsequently had to make his escape by jumping from a first floor window due to the rapid spread of the fire into the first floor landing and hallway. He received first aid treatment at the scene by Firefighters.
Watch Commander Sean Hedger, who was in charge of the Fire crews attending, said that ‘This incident was minutes away from being a fatality’. The fire alarm system was inadequate and the design and layout of the property was not suitable for the mode of occupation. The bedroom doors were poor quality, offering little resistance to the fire and were lockable by padlocks. The hallway was partially blocked with two large fridge freezers hindering the means of escape.
Mr Chang pleaded guilty to 5 charges brought under the HMO Management regulations and was fined a total of £6595 with costs by Cambridge City Magistrates.
The Magistrates viewed this as an ‘extremely serious matter’ and that ‘It was a very good thing that Cambridge City Council brought this matter to court – it is good for the students of the City’ and that ‘Someone could have died due to your (Mr Changs) negligence’.
Cllr Catherine Smart, Executive Councillor for Housing, said “This was a serious incident that could easily have had a tragic outcome. The circumstances that led to this case must serve as a reminder to landlords and property managers that unsafe housing cannot not be ignored. Being a Landlord is a serious responsibility and paramount importance must be given to the safety of their tenants. The City Council will continue to work with landlords and property managers to raise the standard of private rented accommodation and will take all necessary action to protect those living in this city from unsafe housing.”
All landlords of HMOs must be aware of the serious consequences of failing to install adequate fire precautions in their rental properties. Landlords and property managers who would like further information about the management requirements for rental properties, in particular HMOs, should contact Cambridge City Council on 01223 457900, or come into the Cambridge City Council Customer Service Centre in Mandela House, Regent Street, Cambridge.
