Markandayar Gowrikaran, the person having control of the premises at 20A St James’s Street in Brighton, pleaded guilty to offences under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 at Brighton Magistrates’ Court on April 20, 2026.
He admitted failing to take the general fire precautions required at the premises, which he operated as an HMO, and was fined £3,875 on July 20, 2026.
The court also ordered him to pay £7,075 to East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service in respect of investigation time and costs – a total of £10,950.
Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, the Responsible Person for a building must ensure, as far as is reasonably practicable, the safety of relevant persons from fire.
This includes carrying out and regularly reviewing a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment, implementing appropriate fire safety measures, maintaining fire safety equipment, ensuring escape routes remain available and protected, and providing suitable information and training where required.
Fire Safety Inspecting Officers first visited the property on February 14, 2023, following concerns from the local authority about fireworks being stored within the ground floor commercial premises.
The inspection revealed several serious fire safety breaches affecting the HMO above.
Officers found faults with the fire alarm panel in multiple zones, missing smoke detector heads, a manual call point that was not securely fixed, and the removal of a fire-resisting door.
Combustible materials were being stored in communal escape routes and on the external fire escape.
Other issues included a kitchen door opening onto the escape route that failed to self-close fully and an inadequately protected electrical intake that was neither secured nor enclosed within suitable fire-resisting construction.
These matters were brought to Mr Gowrikaran’s attention, together with the requirement to undertake and record a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment.
Despite informal advice, formal enforcement notices, and follow-up inspections, insufficient progress was made to remedy the deficiencies.
Inspections carried out between February and December 2023 found many of the same issues still present, with substantial remedial work not being undertaken until the early part of 2024.
Jake Kaye, station manager for legal and enforcement at East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service, said: “We continue to find that many Houses in Multiple Occupation with shared communal areas do not have a suitable fire risk assessment in place.
“This remains a significant concern because the fire risk assessment is fundamental to identifying the measures needed to protect residents.
“We hope this prosecution serves as a reminder that those responsible for fire safety must comply with their legal duties and with any enforcement action taken by the Fire Authority.
“Where they fail to do so and place people at risk, we will take appropriate enforcement action.”
Further support and information can be found on the East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service website at: www.esfrs.org/fire-safety-legislation
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