Another landlord has been brought to justice, being prosecuted and fined for evicting a tenant illegally.
Rouge landlord Suhail Mahmood was convicted at Sheffield Magistrates’ Court and was told to pay fines totalling £3,700.
Changing Locks
The landlord was prosecuted by Sheffield City Council, after telling one of his tenants to move out and subsequently removing and changing locks only days later.
Mr Mahmood was told to pay £700 in tenant compensation, fined £2,000 and £1,000 in court costs. The conviction on August 29th came of the 40th anniversary of the introduction of the Protection from Eviction Act 1977.
Councillor Jayne Dunn, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods and Community Safety at Sheffield City Council, said: ‘It’s not right that a landlord thinks it’s acceptable to give notice on their property and expect someone to move out within a matter of days.’
Rogue landlord fined for illegally evicting tenant
These are people’s homes and they need some security We put a huge amount of time into clamping down on bad letting practices and I am determined to keep this up. Luckily we have some excellent landlords in our city and the vast majority meet their legal responsibilities.’
Dunn said she wanted the case of Mr Mahmood to serve as a warning to others, stating : ‘We can act and will act.’ [1]
[1] https://www.lettingagenttoday.co.uk/breaking-news/2017/9/landlord-hit-with-fine-for-illegally-evicting-tenant