A major crackdown which is targeting landlords in two Norwich streets hopes to prevent any repeat of a horrific fire which left a young female badly burned.
Both the City Council and Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service have joined forces to get the message across to landlords that the safety of tenants living in their properties is crucial.
The fire service and council officials are due to carry out inspections at all rented accommodation above shops in Magdalen Street and Prince of Wales Road. They are keen to make sure the flats are not flouting fire and health and safety regulations, which if ignored can turn out to be death traps. Landlords are being warned that they will be prosecuted if the inspections reveal they are not taking safety issues seriously. They are being advised that safety is just as important as landlord insurance.
Council officials have written letters, in a variety of languages, to all the tenants living in flats of the streets affected asking them to call if they have concerns about the safety standards in the property. The crackdown started after fire-fighters rescued a 19 year old female from a burning flat in Magdalen Street last year. She suffered 80% burns and her landlord was jailed for 30 months in May after he admitted 14 breaches of health and fire safety laws. The sentence was later reduced to 21 months after he agreed to pay £20,000 as compensation.
City Councillor Brenda Arthur, cabinet member for housing, said “By working with the fire service, our aim is to make sure that tenants are living in suitable accommodation. We would like to thank the landlords who have come forward and agreed to work with us.
“While enforcement action is something we will not hesitate taking when necessary, we would always want to look at offering to work with people before resorting to this.”