Property

Landlord to pay $5000 over tenant death

A landlord whose DIY installation of a gas oven cost his tenant her life has been ordered to pay $5000 in reparation.

Tuesday, July 22nd 2014

Nineteen-year-old Lesley Wehi-Jack died after the cooker in her Ruakaka house exploded in February last year.

She had been in the home for five days when a spark from a switch ignited a gas leak.

Seventy-three-year-old landlord Peter John McLeod appeared in Whangarei District Court and was ordered to pay $5000. He pleaded guilty to undertaking an unauthorised gas fitting, failing to take all practicable steps to ensure gas appliances were safe and completing gas work when not authorised to do so.

The charges had a maximum penalty of two years in prison or a $100,000 fine.

McLeod was a registered drainlayer. The installation of the cooker should have been done by a licensed gasfitter.

The charges were brought by Energy Safety, which is part of WorkSafe NZ.

Energy Safety urged all landlords to ensure gas and electrical installations were safe and to always use competent and licensed people to install and maintain them.

Healthy lifestyle property market: REINZ

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