Landlord pays for disrepair in Normanton
A landlord in charge of a property in Normanton, West Yorkshire, has been ordered to pay more than £3,000 over his failure to address conditions that were described as ‘hazardous.’
Southern Derbyshire Magistrates Court fined landlord Arif Hussein £1,000 and instructed that he must pay £1967 in costs. Hussein did not attend the court hearing.
The issues in the property were logged by the council’s housing standard’s team in 2013, and were allocated for investigation by senior environmental officer Dawn Deakin on November 20. The list of health hazards and unsatisfactory conditions in the property was extensive.
Hazards
• A cooker hob that was too close to the kitchen work surface, causing flame damage
• Electrical wires and light fittings hanging from a ceiling
• A blocked hand basin
• A soaked ceiling in danger of collapse.
• Other ceilings and walls affected by damp
• No smoke alarms
• The electricity meter being bypassed
• Faulty tread
• No handrails on the stairs
• Large amounts of rubbish in the garden
According to Ms Deakin, Mr Hussein
“stated he was not prepared to carry out any remedial work to the property and said the tenants were in rent arrears.”
Nevertheless he was served with an improvement notice on December 12 2013 which stipulated that he complete all necessary repair and refurbishment work by February 19, 2014.
The tenants occupying the property at the time of the original complaint had moved out on November 23 2013, and the building was not inspected until June 2014. Upon arrival Ms Deakin found that very little repair work had been done, and even that to a very poor standard. Mr Hussein was summoned to two interviews to discuss the matter further, but did not attend.
On January 16, 2015, Ms Deakin again visited the property, finding a new family of tenants living there. But still, virtually none of the requisite improvements had been made.
Speaking after the hearing, a cabinet member for regulated services, Baggy Shanker, stated:
“What was in the house was of a very poor condition, putting those living there at risk. I welcome the fine and I hope it acts as a deterrent to other bad landlords in our city and sends the clear message that we will pursue them and prosecute.
The impact these rogue landlords has on people’s everyday lives – including children and the elderly – is massive and the profits they are creaming off are big.”
If the property you are living in is in a state of disrepair, whether dangerous or unsanitary, do not hesitate to contact our team for specialist advice on 0800 888 6888 or email [email protected].
Source: Derby Telegraph
