It took well over a year and numerous court hearings, but a landlord finally
admitted he was in the wrong and pleaded guilty to failing to comply with the
Improvement Notice issued more than a year previously. As a result of the
action taken against him by Ashfield District Council, the landlord was fined
£1600.
Serious hazards in the rental property
Local authority inspectors had identified a number of serious hazards at the
rental property, which was occupied by a young family with a child. There were
no fire detectors in place, it was damp and full of mould, and the landlord had
also failed to produce evidence to show gas appliances had been safety checked.
The landlord evidently chose to ignore the case against him for a long time and
made no effort to resolve any of the issues, but by the time he arrived at the
magistrates court for the most recent hearing, he must have had a change of
heart, for he pleaded guilty.
A landlord’s defence
The landlord tried to defend himself by saying his tenants had been very difficult and had refused to pay their rent, but he did accept that perhaps he could (and should) have done more to make improvements to the property when the Improvement Notice was first issued.
Landlords beware
Ashfield council was keen to remind other landlords following the conclusion of
this court case that it is always willing to prosecute those who fail to
maintain standards in their rental properties, particularly when people’s lives
are at risk.
