A St. Catharines property owner and its tenant have plead guilty on fire code offences.
Officials say both appeared in court to answer charges of failing to ensure smoke alarms were installed and properly maintained at the Currie Street home .
The tenant plead guilty to two charges related to failing to notify the landlord once they became aware smoke alarms on two floors of the dwelling were disconnected and not operating.
With the conviction the owner is facing a fine of $3,000 plus court costs, while the defendant is facing $4,000 in fines plus court costs.
“Regardless if you live in your own home or live in a rental unit you must have a working smoke alarms on every storey of your home or rental unit,” said Fire Chief Dave Upper. “Tenants also have an important responsibility, and must contact their landlord immediately if their smoke or carbon monoxide alarms are not working properly. Tampering with, failing to maintain, or not having a working smoke or carbon monoxide alarm is against the law.”
Ontario law requires working smoke alarms on every storey of a home and outside all sleeping areas.
The law also requires working carbon monoxide alarms outside sleeping areas in units where a fuel-burning appliance is installed or shares a common wall or floor with a service room containing such an appliance or an attached garage.