A commercial building in Dublin converted into unauthorised short-term lets by a company linked to landlord Marc Godart did not have enough fire safety measures, including an alarm or escape routes, a court has heard.

Dublin City Council (DCC) prosecuted Green Label Short Lets Limited over a "potentially dangerous building" in the city centre.

The court heard it was subdivided into two parts, and the safety notice "required the walls separating the two units to be constructed in such a way to achieve minimum 60-minutes fire resistance.

It also required an electrical system to be examined, tested and certified to the requisite standards and required a fire safety certificate to be applied for.

At Dublin District Court Judge Anthony Halpin ordered the property firm to donate €500 to charity and pay more than €3,800 towards the council's costs.

Inspections

DCC's barrister Christopher Hughes told the Judge that the company failed to comply with the notice issued following an inspection on June 20th last year.

The building had been a ground-floor commercial unit but it was converted into a residential unit with six bedrooms.

The council's warning after an inspection on June 20th, 2023 required the residential use "to cease" until matters specified in the notice were addressed.

The court was told another inspection happened on October 16th and those issues had not been complied with.

The Defence barrister for Green Label Short Lets Limited pleaded for leniency and said it was unauthorised because of the short-term letting aspect.

The Judge noted that the firm has no prior convictions under the Fire Safety Act.