A landlord has been ordered to pay thousands of pounds after a fire ripped through a Slough home, revealing that tenants were living in unsafe housing conditions.

Eight people were believed to be living in the four-bedroomed semi-detached house on Uxbridge Road in Wexham.

Slough Observer:

The electrical fire caused serious damage to the house, with the council’s housing regulation officers called in to investigate the living conditions. 

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It was discovered that each room had been turned into a bedroom, meaning the house was classified as a House of Multiple Occupation, or HMO.

The investigation also revealed there were inadequate fire safety measures in the house including no fire alarms as well as the lack of physical protection.

There was also the lack of safety features like a handrail leading to the attic room and no safety certification of the gas and electricity systems.

Slough Observer:

Landlord Nadeem Khan, 40, admitted five offences under the Housing Act 2004 during an appearance at Reading Magistrates’ Court on Friday 25 June.

Mr Khan, of Warwick Avenue, was fined a total of £900 and ordered to pay £3,000 costs and £90 victim surcharge.

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Slough Observer:

Councillor Balvinder Bains, cabinet member for regulation and public protection, said: “This could have had a very different outcome. A fire in the middle of the night with no fire alarms could have resulted in much more serious consequences.

“The reason there are landlord licences is to raise the quality of privately rented homes so tenants are in a compliant environment.”