UK Landlord Forum / Life

A Kent residential landlord will be returning to court next month (February) to find out whether he is going to be sent to jail for a continued breach of health and safety regulations on two properties he rents out in Yarmouth.

Madhu Bhajanehatti from Keston near Bromley was given bail by Yarmouth Magistrates' Court after being told there is the possibility he could face a custodial sentence for not producing evidence that his gas boilers were safe for tenants in the flats.

The 34-year-old had already been given a fine of £24,840 last October after being prosecuted by the local authorities for putting tenants at risk from carbon monoxide poisoning because he had no written record of Corgi-registered checks for gas heaters.

At the recent court hearing Bhajanehatti admitted failing to comply with an order to inspect and do work on boilers in his flats. He claimed he could not afford the £1,900 for the checks because of the economic downturn.

Bhajanehatti had previously been asked to produce boiler documents in February 2007. When he failed to do so he was taken to court where he pleaded guilty to 12 counts of failing to supply the information and was fined the £24,840 and told to pay costs of £13,481.

Later that year Bhajanehatti sold 10 of his properties, but remained responsible for two others.

Oh yeah, let that be a warning to you all!