A landlord has been fined £33,000 after being found guilty at Watford Magistrates Court of breaching several fire safety rules relating to Houses of Multiple Occupation.

None of the rooms in the nine-bedroom house, in Hatfield, Hertfordshire, had fire doors.

Although there were fire extinguishers present at the property, they were all out of date.

The local council described the property as high risk due to tenants only staying for a brief period and not knowing each other; the combination of factors making the property high risk particularly in the event of a fire.

We say there is no reason why extinguishers should be out of date – an annual service by a competent company such as ourselves is all that’s needed. And there is plenty of advice available of the fitting of effective fire doors.