A landlord in Wirral has been fined £7,400 after failing to conduct mandatory annual gas safety checks at a rental property for eight years. Adam Evans, of Brownlow Road, New Ferry, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 36(3) of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 at Wirral Magistrates’ Court.
Mr Evans was fined £2,400 and ordered to pay £5,000 in costs. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) began its investigation in October 2024 following a referral from Wirral Borough Council. The property on Salisbury Drive in New Ferry was occupied by a tenant and her five children, who had lived there since 2016 without any annual gas safety inspections being carried out.
When the HSE requested gas safety records, Mr Evans provided a certificate dated November 2024, completed after the concern was raised. No documentation was available for the preceding eight years. HSE inspector Ian Betley stated that Mr Evans "showed a complete disregard for the law and put the lives of a mother and her children at risk."
Current regulations require landlords to ensure gas appliances are inspected every 12 months by a Gas Safe registered engineer, with records retained for verification. Carbon monoxide alarms must also be installed in properties with gas appliances.