Landlord fined over hazards
Published
Tuesday 12 November, 2024
Updated
Tuesday 12 November, 2024
A landlord has been fined £12,000 by Swale Borough Council for failing to comply with an improvement notice that was issued after serious hazards were found at a Sheerness property.
Officers from the council’s housing enforcement team carried out an inspection of the property on Unity Street after a tenant complaint.
The officers found severe and extensive dampness and mould, excess cold due to inadequate heating and poor insulation, harbourage for pests, fall hazards, and fire safety issues due to the lack of working smoke alarms and missing doors.
Despite being served with an Improvement Notice, the landlord failed to take the necessary actions to address these dangerous conditions within the required timeframe.
It costs the NHS £290 million every year to treat people with injuries or illnesses related to category one hazards, such as excess cold, who privately rent homes.
Cllr Angela Harrison, chair of the council’s housing and health committee, said:
“Everyone has the right to live in a safe home, and landlords have a legal responsibility to maintain their properties to make sure people living in them aren’t at risk.
“We will always try to work with landlords to address any issues that we find, but if things don’t improve, we will take action to make sure they’re fixed.
“The failure to comply with the improvement notice doesn’t just show a disregard for the law but – most worryingly - puts tenants at risk.
“The size of this fine hopefully serves as a clear reminder that we will take enforcement action against those who neglect their duties."
The proceeds of the fine are ringfenced, so they are directly reinvested back into the council’s private housing enforcement efforts.
This will support ongoing inspections, investigations and enforcement actions to help maintain housing standards and protect vulnerable tenants from unsafe living conditions.
The fine was issued in July and was not appealed by the landlord.
