24th
May 2017
After putting his tenants' lives at risk by renting out a dangerous property, a Rugby landlord has been handed a ban from being able to let out accommodation.
The banned landlord has a history of breaking Housing regulations when in April 2016 he was fined £5,000 for committing 25 offences under the 2004 Act. Two weeks ago he was again requested to attend court and was found guilty of several breaches of the regulations, one of which was attempting to obstruct the Rugby Borough Council's housing enforcement team from entering the property.
When the team finally gained access, they uncovered a range of safety breaches that included broken electric sockets, a fridge blocking an emergency exit and faulty doors. The landlord was issued with warnings and but did not bother to resolve any of the issues.
At the Nuneaton Justice Centre, magistrates were told in the hearing of the 15 tenants who were living in the ten bedroomed property at the time of the inspection. It was estimated that the landlord who failed to attend the proceedings, received a weekly rent in excess of £820.
After the inspection was carried out the landlord was asked by the officers who managed the property, and he replied by saying: "It’s your job to find out."
The magistrates found the landlord guilty of 19 offences and fined him £39,000, £8,000 of which was for not obtaining the council HMO licence and obstructing officers in carrying out their duties.
The magistrates also slapped the landlord with a Criminal Behaviour Order, so he is unable to operate (managing or letting a private rented property) within the private rented sector until May 2019.
Sean Lawson the Borough Council’s head of environment and public realm, said: "We’re happy to work with landlords to explain the legislation surrounding HMOs and offer advice on work which needs to be carried out in order for a property to meet safety standards. But our priority has to be the safety of tenants and, when a landlord shows complete contempt for the law, we have no hesitation in taking the case to court. The severity of the fines imposed by magistrates in this case, together with the issuing of a Criminal Behaviour Order, shows no landlord can afford to cut corners when it comes to ensuring the safety of tenants."
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