Management company prosecuted for fire safety failures in Camden

At a previous hearing conducted on Thursday 11 May, Monsoon Properties Limited pleaded guilty to charges of breaching Regulations 4, 7 and 8 of the Management of Houses in Multiple Occupation (England) Regulations 2006.

The key fire safety-related issues noted included an inadequate fire detection system, obstructions to the means of escape and defective fire doors.

Monsoon Properties Limited was fined £10,000 for each of the breaches – realising a total fine of £30,000 – and ordered to pay Camden Council’s costs of £7,020, plus a surcharge of £12,000.

Ultimately, this means that Monsoon Properties Limited must pay a total sum of £49,020.

Commenting on the case, Councillor Meric Apak (Cabinet Member for Better Homes at Camden Council) observed: “This isn’t the first time Monsoon Properties Limited has been prosecuted. The company should know – as indeed should all landlords and management companies in Camden – that we will not hesitate to take landlords whom we suspect are breaking the law to court. We will also seek to ban bad landlords. Our record of securing seven banning orders against rogue landlords is greater than for any other council in England.”

Apak went on to comment: “Camden Council is committed to ensuring the highest standard of fire safety across its housing portfolio. This, of course, means a deep dive into safety in our own council housing stock. Significant investment includes ensuring that our homes have appropriate fire doors, emergency lighting, fire alarms and fire stopping. It also means ensuring that we hold private landlords and management companies to the same high standards in order to ensure all of our residents have safe homes in which to live.”