Homeless people at fire risk in city property with huge number of safety failings

Homeless people were left at serious risk of fire at a hostel for vulnerable people with a huge number of safety failings.

A Liverpool landlord has now been hit with a bill of almost £25,000 for exposing vulnerable and homeless tenants to serious fire risks in the House of Multiple Occupation (HMO). Step One (NW) Limited were handed a £20,000 fine by Liverpool Magistrates Court on Thursday March 17 for failure to comply with housing management.

The court heard that the property, Lower Breck House on Lower Breck Road, is a large House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) that houses a wide range of vulnerable tenants, many of whom have suffered homelessness, substance abuse and other issues. Liverpool council and its partners do not place people there.

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Council officers visited the property in March 2021 in response to an anonymous complaint, and discovered that the property had 43 defective fire doors throughout the building, increasing the risk of fire spread. The fire alarm sounders installed at the building failed to meet the required decibel level, meaning that tenants may not have heard an alarm in the event of a fire.

In addition, fire extinguishers at the property had out of date service records, some appearing to have had their last service as far back as 2016. There were also issues regarding excessive use of intumescent foam which exceeded the permitted amount to be used and the cellar staircase not being adequately fire protected.

A Liverpool landlord has been hit with a bill of almost £25,000 for exposing vulnerable tenants to serious fire risks (liverpol echo)

The council told the court that there had been a systemic failure to ensure the property was safe and adequately fire protected. District Judge Healey noted that the defects at the property had “raised the risk” of fire spread and following guilty pleas on five counts from the company, imposed a fine of £20,000 plus costs of £4,747.61 and a victim surcharge of £190.

An HMO licence requires the holder to comply with certain legal obligations, including ensuring appropriate fire safety protocols are in place. As a result of the prosecution, Liverpool City Council will now undertake a review of the ‘fit and proper’ status of the licence-holder.