Landlord banned over 'recipe for disaster' flat
- Published
The flat at 248 Paisley Road West, Glasgow was found to have a string of safety concerns when inspected earlier this year
A man has been banned from the landlord register for allowing 12 people to live in a Glasgow flat branded a "recipe for disaster".
A lack of smoke alarms, exposed wiring and gas safety concerns were all identified during an inspection at the Paisley Road West flat.
Owner Ashiq Rasul also did not have a multiple occupation licence which is required for such properties.
Mr Rasul has been removed from the register of private landlords.
The decision was taken by Glasgow City Council's licensing committee which heard the property - which has seven to eight bedrooms - was examined by the fire service and council officials, who discovered exposed wiring and had concerns over the condition of the boiler and gas hob.
Alex Wilson, who chairs the committee, said the landlord had made "glaring errors", adding: "It looks as if you have just shoehorned people into this property and it's not fit for purpose.
"There are items identified on inspection which are massive causes for concerns, where you've got exposed wiring. That was a recipe for disaster. You could have easily had a fire in that property."
The committee decided that Mr Rasul, who was represented by his son, was not a "fit and proper" person and removed him from the register of private landlords.
He also did not have a house in multiple occupation (HMO) licence, which is required by anyone letting a property to three or more people who are not related.
'Failed to identify himself'
A council official said an unannounced inspection of the property was carried out in January due to concerns it was being used as an unlicensed HMO.
It was established that the number of occupants residing in the flat totalled 12, the official said, and concerns were raised with Scottish Fire and Rescue and Police Scotland.
Mr Rasul, who would "occasionally" stay at the flat", "failed to identify himself as the landlord" and "maintained he was a friend of the landlord", the official also told the committee.
His son later said his father "doesn't understand much English, so when he was on the phone to me, I told him what they were saying".
A suspension of rent order was issued to the landlord in February.
Later that month, a gas safety certificate and electrical installation condition report were sent to the council.
A later inspection found 10 people in the flat, a "number of electrical defects" and raised concerns over the condition of the boiler and gas hob.
Smoke alarms
The council official said the gas engineer regulator, Gas Safe Register, "found against that engineer" as there were "matters he should have picked up on at the time".
He added the electrician who worked at the property said some of his recommendations were "absent" from the documents received by the council.
There was also an "absence of smoke alarms" and "a number of doors had padlocks on", the committee heard.
The official added no legionella risk assessment, proof of building insurance or information on tenancy deposits had been provided.Mr Rasul's son claimed most of the work had been carried out, and a gas safety and electrical report had been provided to the council. He said: "It's mostly students in there, they've been getting their pals over.
"Whenever we go over, the pals are just stopping for a wee bit, that's what we've been told. They're going to leave, but they end up staying."Reporting provided by Drew Sandelands at the Local Democracy Reporting Service.