The landlord was also ordered to pay £250 in costs after pleading guilty to two safety breaches of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 and one breach of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 at Batley and Dewsbury Magistrates Court on 19th March.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecuted the landlord after he failed to have the cooker and boiler regularly checked and certified by a registered Gas Safe engineer at his rented property in Dewsbury.

Magistrates heard that the landlord had already been served with an Improvement Notice in August 2008, requiring him to carry out annual safety checks on his gas appliances.

However by August 2009 the landlord still hadn't carried out safety checks on the gas appliances, potentially exposing his tenant to carbon monoxide poisoning and other risks, such as a gas explosion.

After the hearing a HSE Inspector said:

"Uncertified gas appliances can kill, and it's completely unacceptable that the landlord chose to put others at serious risk - especially when he had already been warned and served with an Improvement Notice.

Landlords are legally required to ensure gas appliances at properties they own are checked and certified at least once a year to ensure they are working properly and safely and to protect their tenants."

Gas engineers undertaking gas work must be registered with the Gas Safe Register, a HSE approved body. For more information, or to check registered gas engineers in your area go to the Gas Safe Register Website.