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Two brothers from Dudley have been ordered to pay fines and costs of more than £3,000 after they failed to obtain a gas safety record for a property they rented out, putting tenants’ lives at risk.

Philip Hale, 52, and Roger Hale, 50, both of Brierley Hill, were investigated by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) after council housing officers found no trace of a gas safety record for the Himley Street property.

HSE wrote to the brothers requesting a copy of the landlord’s gas safety record, a legal requirement. However, the two admitted that they had not had one for eight years.

The tenants also told HSE that they had never seen a gas safety record at any point in their five-year tenancy.

Philip and Roger Hale were prosecuted by HSE at Dudley Magistrates’ Court (27 Jan) for breaching gas safety regulations.

HSE also found that two gas fires provided by the landlords to the tenants had been condemned by National Grid following an inspection by them after a gas smell had been detected in the property.

Philip Hale, of Gayfield Avenue, Brierley Hill, and Roger Hale, of Karen Way, Brierley Hill, both pleaded guilty to breaching the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. Philip Hale was fined £1,000 and Roger Hale was fined £1,500 and both were ordered to pay costs of £464 each.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Pam Folsom said:

“Philip and Roger Hale potentially put lives and property in danger by ignoring their responsibilities as landlords of this property.

“It is essential landlords have gas appliances inspected annually. Well- maintained appliances reduce the risks of carbon monoxide poisoning and dangerous gas leaks. Gas safety records are a legal requirement and give tenants the peace of mind they deserve when it comes to the safety of the appliances in their homes.

“Landlords who fail to have their gas appliances checked annually will be investigated by the Health and Safety Executive and action will be taken where necessary.”

Chief executive of Gas Safe Register, Russell Kramer, said:

“When it comes to rented property it is important that landlords know their duties and tenants know their rights. A landlord should be able to show you an up to date gas safety record for the property which shows that gas appliances have been checked by a Gas Safe registered engineer in the last 12 months. For more gas safety advice call 0800 4085500 or visit www.gassaferegister.co.uk ¹.”

For advice on gas safety visit http://www.hse.gov.uk/gas²

Notes to editors

1. Regulation 36(3)(a) of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 states: “Without prejudice to the generality of paragraph (2), a landlord shall ensure that each appliance and flue to which that duty extends is checked for safety within 12 months of being installed and at intervals of not more than 12 months since it was last checked for safety (whether such check was made pursuant to these Regulations or not).

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Issued on behalf of the Health and Safety Executive by the Regional News Network