TENANTS in Bolton have been warned they could be living in unsafe houses which fall foul of safety laws.

Estate agent Stephen Laycock says his firm has had to reject potential landlords because they do not fulfill fire safety requirements set out by government.

He claims people within the industry are confused with how the law regarding houses in multiple occupation is interpreted.

Mr Laycock, of Platinum Properties in Horwich, who is also a Blackrod town councillor, said some landlords are not aware their house would be classed as a house in multiple occupation, which requires additional safety precautions.

The government says that the definition of a house in multiple occupation is one in which three or more tenants live, who form more than one household and share facilities such as a toilet and bathroom.

A large house in multiple occupation is classed as one with five or more tenants and at least three storeys, and landlords must meet certain standards and obligations which are enforceable by councils.

Mr Laycock said: "We have been turning people away, and we are conscious other people aren't turning them away. For example, people might think that a couple house sharing with a friend would be classed as a normal house, but in fact it would be a house in multiple occupation."

In its guidance notes, Bolton Council states that in houses of multiple occupancy, there should be 'interlinked' smoke alarms in larger houses of multiple occupancy, where if one smoke alarm in the house was activated, all of them would be.

In addition, being a house of multiple occupancy means there should be a periodic electrical inspection every five years.

Mr Laycock added: "It is less of a problem in more modern houses but in older houses, which are the main renting market, it is more likely the specifications won't be met."

Recent changes to the law for rental properties require working smoke alarms to be fitted on every floor of houses.

A survey by insurers AXA also found that 54 per cent of landlords surveyed had not installed smoke alarms, and 43 per cent had failed to arrange the legally required gas safety check.

A council spokesman said: “We understand that some landlords may find the national guidance unclear and we are happy to help landlords who are uncertain about what they are required to do.

"We have guidance documents on our website and each individual property is looked at on an individual basis in line with the national guidance.

"A higher standard of fire safety is required in these multi-occupancy properties — these landlords should also carry out their own fire risk assessment which would identify hazards and the steps required to mitigate them."