Court imposes injunction order for lifetime of tenancy over gas checks

A housing association tenant who repeatedly denied gas engineers access into his home to carry out compulsory gas safety checks, has been given an injunction order for the lifetime of his tenancy.

District Judge Rouine at Preston County Court imposed the order on Lloyd Crawshaw of Leyton Avenue in Leyland after he ignored attempts by New Progress Housing Association to access the property. This was even after mutually agreed appointments had been made.

The injunction will allow the housing association’s engineers to gain access to the property with up to three days’ notice in writing. Crawshaw was also ordered to pay costs of £175 to the association.

District Judge Rouine said: "The evidence is clear that New Progress Housing Association has tried to obtain access to the property. I am therefore more than content to make the order in the terms sought, as this young man is in a dangerous situation and so are his neighbours.”

Bernie Keenan, Executive Director of Housing, Community and Support Services for New Progress Housing Association, said: “As a landlord, we have a legal duty to carry out an annual service of gas appliances in all our properties every 12 months.

“These inspections are free and are scheduled at a time when best suits the tenant. If a tenant refuses our engineers access, they are not only in breach of their tenancy agreement but they are placing their lives, and the lives of their neighbours, at risk from faulty gas appliances.”