Landlord Fined After Ignoring Notices

A Peterborough landlord was fined and landed with a repair bill after ignoring council demands for improvements to his rental property.

Maroof Hussain, of Windmill Street, Millfield, Peterborough, was found guilty in his absence and fined 435 pounds on each of two offences of failing to comply with notices issued by Peterborough City Council. He was also ordered to pay the city council's costs of 375 pounds and a victim surcharge of 15 pounds.

A January 2006 inspection carried out by council housing enforcement officer Peter Bezant had found the property in disrepair. A second inspection in January 2008 found no substantial improvement and a statutory improvement notice was issued. This expired in June 2008. In July 2008 a further inspection confirmed that repair work had not been commenced.

The specified remedial work is now being carried out by the city council at Hussain's expense.

'We hope that this will send a clear message to all landlords operating in the city about their responsibilities to maintain their properties and the penalties if they do not comply', said Peter Bezant.

'The majority of landlords fulfil their property repair obligations without the city council taking legal action and the majority of cases are resolved through informal action only. However, as this case illustrates, if informal action fails to produce the desired results the city council will not hesitate to take enforcement action and prosecute for non-compliance where necessary'.

* The National Landlords Association in Scotland has warned landlords that they face massive fines if they do not provide Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) for prospective tenants.

Since 4 January 2009, all landlords starting new tenancies in Scotland must provide tenants with an EPC or risk being hit with a fine of 5,000 pounds for each rental property they own which does not have a certificate.

The EPC, which details the energy efficiency and environmental impact of a rental property, must be made available to prospective tenants at the earliest opportunity. When a tenant moves in, it needs to be fixed in an accessible, visible location inside the property.

The certificate is valid for 10 years and can be reused as many times as required within that period. Landlords do not have to commission a new EPC each time a new tenancy starts but they are required to give a copy of the latest EPC to new tenants.

* Ilford landlord Faruk Ahmed and his company Open Door Property Management Limited have been fined 1,000 pounds with 1,250 pounds after Stratford Magistrates found he had contravened the Prevention from Eviction Act 1977.

Ahmed had ignored warnings from the council that he should give tenants proper notice before evicting them or to find them alternative accommodation.

Councillor Andrew Baikie claimed that although many private landlords provide a good quality service to their tenants, 'there is a minority who believe that they are above the law and can evict tenants without taking the required steps. The council will take robust enforcement action and prosecute where possible when we become aware of landlords committing offences'.