A rogue landlord who failed to comply with an improvement notice to carry out essential repairs to his property has been told to be pay fines and fees of almost £800, following an investigation by Harrogate Borough Council.
Damian John Green of Heather Lea Avenue, Sheffield, was found guilty of not carrying out the required work to his rental property on Robert Street, Harrogate, within the allotted time.
Guilty
Mr Green pleaded guilty to non-compliance of an improvement notice for substandard and rotten window sashes and frames. This was despite the initial notice being varied, in order to provide additional time for compliance within an allotted time period agreed with the landlord.
The defendant was absent at the hearing at Harrogate Magistrates’ Court. He did however enter a guilty plea by post and was fined £400. In addition, he was told to pay council’s costs of £351 and a victim surcharge of £40.
Landlord fined for ignoring improvement notice
Councilor Mike Chambers, Harrogate Borough Council’s cabinet member for housing, noted: ‘This successful prosecution demonstrates the council’s ongoing commitment to safeguarding the rights of private tenants in the district.’[1]
‘We are dedicated to ensuring that landlords operate within the law and provide safe accommodation for residents. We do not tolerate poor housing standards or complete disregard for tenant welfare. Wherever possible we will continue to work with landlords to improve the private rented sector, but will not hesitate to take enforcement action where necessary and prosecute for further disregard and non-compliance as a last resort.’[1]
[1] https://www.landlordtoday.co.uk/breaking-news/2017/2/landlord-fined-for-failing-to-make-safety-improvements