Bedsit landlords in Hertsmere could end up in court unless they register their properties under a new council scheme.

When the scheme is launched, landlords will pay £30 to have their properties inspected by contractors working for Hertsmere Borough Council.

The inspectors will check that items such as fire extinguishers are installed, electrical supplies are safe, and fire escape routes are clearly sign-posted.

Landlords whose properties are up to scratch will be registered, and those whose properties fail to reach the minimum standard will be told what needs to be done.

Council officers have sent the proposed scheme to central Government. If it is approved, as expected, the scheme will come into action by next Spring.

It will become a crime to move tenants into an unregistered property, and unregistered landlords will be prosecuted by the council's environmental health officers.

Firefighters hope to be involved in the scheme, and to advise the council's inspectors on what safety equipment is necessary in bedsit flats.

The scheme is being introduced as a result of a fire at a bedsit in Borehamwood's Shenley Road last Christmas, which claimed the life of a 28-year-old man.

Council environmental health officers attended a coroner's inquest, which was set up to establish the cause of the young man's death.

The coroner said the lack of safety equipment at the Shenley Road bedsit had not caused the death, but urged the council to improve safety conditions in Hertsmere's bedsits by introducing the scheme.

Senior environmental health officer Chris Gascoine said the council had considered introducing a registration scheme for bedsits before, but had not done so because central Government had promised to set up a registration scheme to cover the whole of Britain.

The Government scheme has still not been launched, and councillors decided to introduce a borough-wide scheme rather than wait any longer for the national version.

Several landlords have already contacted the council after reading about the Shenley Road fire in the Borehamwood & Elstree Times, to ensure their properties are safe to rent out.

The council is working with these landlords to determine what improvements, if any, would be necessary to join the register.

Mr Gascoine said he hoped other landlords would contact the council to do the same thing. "We would like to encourage people to come to us, to talk about improvements they could make."

Borehamwood Fire Station's commander, Danny Rickett, said it was important to make sure bedsits were equipped with fire safety equipment, as tenants were less likely to look out for each other's welfare than a family.