Leicester landlord jailed for eight months

A landlord has been jailed for eight months for ignoring fire safety regulations at a pair of rental properties in the Highfields area of Leicester.

Haresh Rambhai Patel, had failed to act on safety warnings given to him back in 2012, when in May 2013 the adjoining rental properties caught fire, and three tenants had to be rescued by firefighters.

At Leicester Crown Court, Judge Robert Brown concluded: 

“These offences show you failed in virtually every aspect of fire safety in relation to 9-11 Evington Street. You failed to prioritise your obligations as a landlord, whilst taking the rent.”

Mr Patel pleaded guilty to seven offences under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 during an earlier hearing at Leicester Crown Court.

This eight months sentence, is in addition to s an existing £38,000 fine, granted by the magistrates court earlier this year following a separate council prosecution, for Patel's failure to obtain the required licences on the pair of properties. 

At yesterday’s hearing, Patel was ordered to pay a further £13,704 in prosecution costs.

Mr Patel, has since spent £36,000 on fire safety measures across his rental portfolio of sixteen other properties.

A warning to all of us.