Landlord loses licence after renting out flat despite fire risks
Getty ImagesA Glasgow landlord has lost their licence after renting out a property despite the flat being a fire risk.
An inspection of the Sauchiehall Street flat by firefighters found a series of issues, including some fire doors not closing fully within their frames and extraction fans covered with dust or grease.
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service refused to sign off an application from Anna McMullan to renew a HMO (house in multiple occupation) licence , which is needed when a property is let out to three or more people who are not related.
Glasgow's licensing committee turned down the application at a meeting earlier this week, saying a "a substantial fire risk" remains within the property.
Alex Wilson, the committee chairman, told a letting agent who was representing the landlord that "you've put tenants into a property that's not safe."
The committee heard five rooms in the property were let out to five people. It was inspected in February by the council's HMO team and Scottish Fire and Rescue.
During that initial visit, fire service staff found no fire safety information was provided to tenants, not all fire doors closed fully and means of escape through the hallways was compromised by various items such as clothes dryers.
Candles and door wedges were noted in the property as well as coat hangers on the back of fire doors.
They also heard there was an excessive amount of combustible materials in both the utility room and shower rooms while extraction fans did not seem to have been given regular maintenance.
An electrical installation condition report was not provided and holes in walls and ceilings were also reported.
'A huge number of deficiencies'
A second audit last month found that extraction fans were "covered with dust or grease", not all fire doors closed within their frames and there were "excessive gaps" around the bottom of doors.
The letting agent said several quotes for repairs had previously been sent over to the landlord but were rejected.
They said since the second visit in September, contractors had been out to provide quotes for required work and the letting agent was increasing its inspections of HMOs.
Wilson said inspectors had "highlighted a huge number of deficiencies" in February and a good number of those remained in September
"All of these should have been rectified," he added.
Councillors were told tenants had left the property in May and new ones moved in during August.
The letting agent said they believed "all of the deficiencies" had been covered at that time.
Wilson said there were a "substantial amount of alarm bells ringing" over safety and the fact that members of the public were in the property despite the fire service not being willing to sign off the landlord's application.
