17th
Jun 2014
In what is a clear warning to all landlords, that because of evidence from a court case which was put before Chester's residential property tribunal of operating an unlicensed HMO, that he must repay over £5,000 of housing benefit back to the Council.
The tribunal did not stop there as it also fined the landlord a further £10,000 for putting his tenants' lives in danger. He was ordered to repay Cheshire West and Chester Council £5,251.84 of housing benefit that he received for three tenants that lived in the converted bedsits in the property that was unlicensed.
In October of last year, the landlord who owns a property group was found guilty of nine offences under housing legislation. One of the offences was illegal eviction and he received a fine of £9,590.
Alison Amesbury, the council’s interim head of housing strategy, said: “This is the first time that Cheshire West and Chester Council has taken formal action for these types of offences.
“We are delighted at the tribunal decision. It sends out a strong message that rogue landlords who put their tenants at risk will not be tolerated in West Cheshire.”
The Council has set up its own private sector housing team called Chester First which was responsible for establishing the case against the landlord. The team was contacted by a distraught tenant who informed them that the landlord was trying to force him out by removing both the glazing to the window and the bedsit door.
The team subsequently visited the property and found that fire safety regulations had been breached, especially in relation to windows and the staircase and the overall property management and maintenance were virtually non-existent. The fact that property was an unlicensed HMO was also brought to light.
The Property Chamber Northern Residential Property First Tier tribunal received the evidence from the court case at the end of May and they told the Council of their decision in June.
PIMS RELATED CONTENT
What are rent Repayment Orders ?
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Were a tenant lives in a property that should have been licensed but was not, they can apply to the Residential Property Tribunal to claim back any rent they have paid during the unlicensed period (up to a limit of 12 months). Councils may also reclaim any Housing Benefit that has been paid during the time the property has been without a licence READ MORE see Rent Repayment Orders
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