Hastings agency director Gareth Reed has been ordered to pay £24,525 after failing to hand over documents to fire safety inspectors investigating a blaze that trapped three residents.
Reed, sole director of Riverstone-Abbey Estate Agents Limited, was fined £12,500 at Brighton Magistrates’ Court on 12 October, with his company fined a further £7,500. A £2,000 victim surcharge and £2,525.31 in investigation costs take the total to £24,525.31, East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service confirmed.
The prosecution did not punish Reed for the fire itself, but for refusing to cooperate afterwards. Inspectors used Article 27 powers to demand paperwork after the incident, and the court heard he failed without reasonable excuse to supply it. That distinction should worry any landlord or agent who treats official letters as optional.
May 2025 Hastings fire left three with smoke inhalation
The case traces back to a fire at a property in Hughenden Road, Hastings, on 15 May 2025, then managed by Reed and his company. Smoke filled common areas and blocked escape routes, leaving three people trapped inside. All three suffered smoke inhalation.
Follow-up inspections found clear failings. Officers reported a kitchen fire detector that was not secured in its intended position, doors that lacked fire resistance and self-closing devices, and no evidence residents had been told what to do in a fire. Those defects formed the background to the investigation, though the charge focused on non-cooperation.
Article 27 of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 lets authorised inspectors enter premises, make enquiries and require relevant documents. Jake Kaye, station manager for legal and enforcement at East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service, said effective management reduces fire risk and helps occupants escape safely. “Ignoring a letter or failing to respond to a lawful request for information is not a way to avoid scrutiny; it can lead to further enforcement action and prosecution,” he said.
Fire service warns ignoring letters invites prosecution
George O’Reilly, assistant director of risk reduction at East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service, reinforced the warning, saying official correspondence must not be ignored. “We will always seek to work constructively with businesses and Responsible Persons to help them understand and meet their fire safety responsibilities,” he said. Businesses must still cooperate with inspectors and meet lawful requests during investigations.
For landlords, the lesson extends beyond HMOs and blocks with common parts. The Responsible Person must hold a suitable fire risk assessment, maintain safety measures and run reliable systems for receiving and answering official correspondence. Missing a deadline without contacting the inspector can itself become the offence.
This follows Landlord Knowledge’s report on Brent fining an HMO manager £50,000 over Wembley overcrowding, which showed councils pursuing headline penalties for poor management. Combined with Landlord Knowledge’s coverage of Durham fining a landlord £26,000 over repair failures, the Hastings case underlines a wider pattern: enforcement bodies are charging ahead, and paperwork failures now carry court-level fines.
What this means for landlords
- If you use a managing agent: check who holds fire safety duties in writing and who answers official letters.
- Watch for: detector fitment, self-closing fire doors and written evacuation instructions for residents.
- Bottom line: never ignore a fire service request – reply on time or call the inspector if you need longer.
Editor’s view
Reed was not fined for faulty doors, but for silence. That is the sharp edge here. Courts treat cooperation as part of safety, not an add-on. Landlords who file letters unopened invite the same outcome.
Author: Editorial Team – UK landlord & buy-to-let news, policy, and finance
Published: 21 October 2026
Sources: East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service, Brighton Magistrates’ Court
Related reading: Brent fines HMO manager £50,000 over Wembley overcrowding
