21st
Dec 2023
A Warwickshire landlord agent has been banned from any involvement in letting or managing properties across the county after being found guilty of completely disregarding safety, health and welfare issues of his tenants.
The landlord, Grzegorz Surminski, was found sub-letting a property in Leamington Spa as well as being a director of Leamington Rooms Limited which operated as a company managing properties and developing building ventures.
However Warwick District Council Private Sector Housing was successful in securing a banning order against the agent/landlord which came into force on Tuesday 19th December.
Surminski is now banned from any involvement in property management work and letting out properties as a landlord or agent across Warwickshire for three years.
The ban was the first banning order that Warwick District Council had been awarded by the First Tier Tribunal Property Chamber.
The Tribunal was told that the council’s housing officers inspection of
22 St Brides Close, Leamington Spa in 2022 found Surminski had sub-let the property as an HMO with eight bedsits. The officers found the property was devoid of any fire precautions, was overcrowded and needed significant work to make it safe.
Needless to say the rogue landlord had failed to apply for an HMO licence.
Previously in September 2022 Surminski was prosecuted at Coventry Magistrates Court for not licensing the property as an HMO, breaching HMO Management Regulations, failing to carry out necessary work as stipulated by an Improvement Notice order and ignoring a Requisition for Information notice. He was fined £31,000.
The council’s team also had to investigate cases of illegal evictions however the tenants were not prepared to appear in court for fear of retribution.
Councillor Paul Wightman, Portfolio Holder for Housing Services, says: “I am delighted that Warwick District Council has managed to secure its first banning order.
“This clearly sends a strong message to private landlords and others engaged in letting property that the Council will not tolerate those who ignore their legal responsibilities and show a blatant disregard for the health, safety, and welfare of their tenants.”
News Archive »