Philip Sheridan paid £75 a week for a windowless flat that had been illegally converted from the cellar of a terraced house.
His dodgy landlords had also not bothered to fit a smoke alarm. When a fire broke out Philip managed to escape but he was delayed by having only one exit door with no handle.
Ten days later the shop worker died in hospital, aged just 32, of complications arising from smoke inhalation. The tragedy has sparked pleas for reforms to make private renting safer.
Housing charity Shelter says Philip’s story is a horrific example of how existing laws are unfit for purpose. The pandemic has “reinforced the importance of safe homes and shown just how many people don’t have one,” it adds.
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