A court has ordered a landlord to pay over £2,000 in fines and costs who entered a guilty plea of illegally evicting a tenant.

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Bristol Magistrates were told that the landlord had also failed to carry out any repairs including a major leak, or providing a tenancy agreement to the tenant.

The tenant had no other recourse than to make complaints to Bristol City council about their issues and the landlord’s immediate response was to tell the tenant to leave the flat without any form of notice, during the winter pandemic lockdown. When the tenant eventually returned to his ‘home’ he was greeted with the sight of the flat’s front door nailed shut leaving him with nowhere to live.

The tenant contacted the police but when the landlord was told to give the tenant access to the property which was ignored.

During an investigation the landlord failed to take any notice of legal advice and stupidly claimed he did not know the tenant in spite of receiving monthly rent payments.

Following the Bristol City Council’s Tenancy Relations Officer’s investigation into the illegal eviction, the ‘rogue’ was prosecuted under the Protection from Eviction Act 1977.

At Bristol Magistrates Court the guilty landlord was fined £345, ordered to pay costs of £775 and to pay £1,200 compensation to the tenant, who is now able to decide whether to sue the landlord for more compensation and damages.

Cllr Tom Renhard, cabinet member for housing delivery and homes, said: “At a time when Bristol is experiencing a renting crisis and increases in rent prices far exceed rises to wages, renters really do deserve greater protection and improved standards.

“The council will take action to crack down on criminal landlords whilst also ensuring renters rights are enforced. The manner of this eviction had serious implications for the renter both personally and professionally, and it is unacceptable that they should left facing homelessness through the illegal acts of a landlord.