House On A Untreated, Unknown Mineshaft - Can It Be Legally Rented Out?

[aruther]

Hello

We've found out that we are on an old stone mineshaft with the shaft being directly under the kitchen/living room (but possible just on the edge of the house/patio. There are no records of how/whether it was filled/made safe. My key question is whether, as we know that this risk exists, you could rent it out. There is a small chance that the shaft could open up and create a sink hole. Would it be sensible to rent it out? If a tenant was injured or worse would we be legally held responsible and therefore prosecuted?

There's a longer story behind the question but we would be grateful for responses to the simple question. Including how we could go about getting an 'expert' answer to this.

[Buenchico]

>>>Including how we could go about getting an 'expert' answer to this

Presumably by engaging the services of an expert:
http://www.jspubs.com/expert-witness/si/s/subsidence/

http://www.jspubs.com/expert-witness/si/m/mining-shafts/

[bookbinder]

We have an old mineshaft in our garden, so I thought that I would mention a visit from a Coal Authority inspector about 3 years ago. You might be able to get more information from the Coal Authority, if you care to get in touch via:
www.coal.decc.gov.uk
Tel. [phone]
The Coal Authority, 200 Lichfield Lane, Berry Hill, Mansfield, Notts., NG18 4RG.
The inspector was checking on mine shafts as part of a national inspection programme. Our shaft appears on British Coal maps, which is how the inspector knew about it. It isn't a problem for us, and he said it was OK.