An estate agency director and his firm have been told to pay more than £24,000 after a fire left tenants trapped in a smoke-filled property.

East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service (ESFRS) prosecuted Gareth Reed and his company, Riverstone-Abbey Estate Agents Ltd, for offences under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 at the house in Hughenden Road, Hastings, in May 2025.

Three people suffered smoke inhalation after tenants became trapped inside as smoke filled the common areas and obstructed their escape during a fire at the property, which was then managed by Reed and his company.

Following the fire, ESFRS fire safety inspectors identified significant deficiencies including a fire detector that did not appear to be secured to the kitchen ceiling and doors that weren’t fire-resisting or fitted with self-closing devices. There was also a lack of evidence that residents had been given information about what to do in the event of a fire.

Court

Brighton Magistrates’ Court heard that Reed, the sole director of London-based Riverstone-Abbey Estate Agents, failed to provide the documents and information required.

Reed was fined £12,500 and ordered to pay a £2,000 statutory victim surcharge while his company was fined £7,500. Reed was also ordered to pay £2,525 to ESFRS towards costs.

The fire service says businesses, landlords, managing agents and those with fire safety responsibilities should ensure official correspondence is dealt with promptly and responded to within the required timeframe.

Suitable

They have a responsibility to ensure a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment is in place and kept under review, and to implement and maintain appropriate fire safety measures. It adds that they should never ignore letters, notices, or requests for information from authorised fire safety inspectors.

Station manager (legal and enforcement) Jake Kaye says the case highlights the importance of responding to official correspondence. “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 adds.

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