Oxford City Council has been accused of a "criminal offence" due to not registering a building as a high-rise block amid disagreement over whether it is six or seven-storeys tall.
A concerned member of the public, who did not wish to be named, alleged the city authority had "failed" to register Pound House in Cowley Road with the Building Safety Regulator.
This comes as the building, just above Templars Square, was previously subjected to break-ins and vandalism in December last year - which the city council has since investigated.
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Being registered as a high rise block would mean the building is subject to stricter safety regulations to mitigate increased fire risks.
The city council has commented on the concern saying in its view the requirement to register the building as a high rise block is not necessary as they believe it to be six-storey rather than seven-storey.
The concerned householder said: "There is a significant failure of Oxford City Council in relation to the legal requirement to register High Rise Blocks with the Building Safety Regulator.
"The legal requirement is for all high rise blocks to be registered by October 1, 2023 which they have failed to do.
"Under section 77 of the Act, it is a criminal offence for the principal accountable person to allow the building to be occupied when not registered.
"Pound House on the Cowley Road is seven-storeys and meets the requirements for registration.
"Oxford City Council has also received fire risk assessments which indicate there are high risk outstanding repairs which they have not actioned.
"They have also received recent external advice from consultants confirming that Pound House meets the criteria and should have been registered.
"This is a serious breach of the regulations and a criminal offence which has resulted in tenants of the block being put at risk."
Previously, vandalism at the building in December from intruders led people in the building to live in fear.
An anonymous householder at Pound House said he was pleased to see many of the concerns had been addressed such as the main building entrance no longer being "jammed".
But the householder added: "When there are issues with human safety people always go back and comment on them after something happens."
A city council spokesman said: "It is our view, supported by an independent expert assessment, that Pound House is not a seven-storey building.
"It is rather, a six-storey building, with internal mezzanine floors.
"Nor does it exceed 18 meters in height. As such there is no statutory requirement for it to be registered as a high rise block with the Building Safety Regulator.
"We accept that the floors are numbered in a way which makes them appear that they are full storeys in their own right.
"In view of these inquiries we are seeking advice from the Building Safety Regulator on their interpretation of this fairly unique situation and will await their response."
Independent Oxford Alliance Cowley ward councillor Ian Yeatman said: "This concern needs to be investigated urgently.
"I will be raising it with the relevant officers as a priority to understand the situation and will update the concerned resident on the outcome.”
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