Two landlords have been charged with negligence three months after a fire at a Scarborough house killed a University of Toronto student and critically injured another woman, police say.

Helen Guo, an 18-year-old Chinese international student, had finished her first year studying business management when a fire broke out at 10 Haida Court, near Ellesmere Rd., and Military Trail, on May 30 in Scarborough.

She was found dead in the house after the flames were put out, according to investigators at the scene. A 20-year-old woman was also seriously hurt.

Weison Zhou, 47, and Yu Jing, 45, both of Toronto, surrendered to police on Aug. 31.

They are each charged with nine counts of arson by negligence and one count each of criminal negligence causing death, and criminal negligence causing bodily harm.

The charges stem from a joint investigation with Toronto Fire Services and the office of the Fire Marshal, police said.

Police said in a news release Monday that they are alleging the couple was negligent in providing proper fire protection and safety at a home that they own and operate as a rental property, and that this directly led to their tenant’s death and serious burns to another.

The investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing.

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The charge of negligent arson — which can apply to a fire in which an owner has failed to provide fire-prevention controls a “reasonably prudent person” would use — is rare. “There was a recent conviction in Toronto within the past few years for this charge but it has been rarely used,” police said.

Zhou and Jing are listed as spouses in property records obtained by the Star.

According to property searches, the couple owned at least six rental properties in May — all large, detached, single-family households within minutes from each other.

Shortly after the fire at 10 Haida Crt., the Star visited several of these Scarborough houses.

Tenants at two of the properties told the Star that Zhou was evicting them without notice.

At one, 3321 Ellesmere Rd., the Star entered and saw a basement apartment home to eight international students with shared facilities and apparent safety hazards, including two mould-filled bathrooms, two kitchens — one of which did not have running water — and at least two broken or expired smoke detectors.

At the time, the Star presented Zhou with a detailed list of questions outlining the apparent safety violations at his properties. “All the information is not correct,” he replied.

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“My priority is to make sure all current tenants are safe,” he said in a phone call. “After that, I’m not renting any more.”

According to the City of Toronto’s definition, a rooming house is defined as a dwelling where more than four people separately rent out bedrooms, and share some communal spaces like a kitchen and washrooms.

At least three of Zhou’s properties visited by the Star in May appeared to fit the city’s definition of a rooming house. These are illegal in Scarborough, but may be licensed in other parts of Toronto.

With files from Fatima Syed