A Scunthorpe landlord has been fined £3,607 over properties that were so dangerous tenants’ lives were at risk.
North Lincolnshire Council brought a prosecution against Amarjit Singh after he failed to produce documents about three of his properties under the Housing Act 2004.
The case was part of a wider investigation into the homes on Diana Street and Mary Street where dangerous living conditions meant the council was forced to take urgent and immediate enforcement action.
In one case they issued an order immediately removing the occupiers, who were supported to find alternative accommodation.
The council were alerted to dangerous conditions at one property following a referral from East Midlands Ambulance Service following a call-out.
Exposed cables in a shower room, broken windows, unsecure doors, lack of fire precautions, an accumulation of waste in a back yard and sockets hanging off walls meant the tenants were at serious risk of harm.
Mr Singh was served with three notices between November 2020 and January 2021 under Section 235 of the Housing Act 2004 which required him to produce documentation to the council as part of wider investigations into the properties.
Mr Singh, of Ferry Road in Scunthorpe, failed to attend Grimsby Magistrates Court and was found guilty in his absence of three offences of failing to comply with a S.235 Notice.
He was fined £660 for each offence with £1,437 costs plus a £190 victim surcharge, a total of £3,607.
Cllr John Davison, cabinet member for safer, stronger communities – urban, said: “The majority of landlords in North Lincolnshire work with us to provide their tenants with good quality, safe accommodation.
“When they fail to do this we will not hesitate to take action – if, like Mr Singh, they fail to provide tenants with safe and secure accommodation that meets the legal standards, we will come down on them with the full force of the law.”
Housing advice for tenants is available on our website, where you will also find a helpful series of safety video clips.
If your landlord has not reasonably responded to a complaint of disrepair, and you feel you are at risk of harm, you should contact the Environmental Health and Housing Team by email: housing@northlincs.gov.uk or call 01724 297000.
- In April North Lincolnshire Council is launching the new Decent and Safe Homes (Dash) accreditation scheme for landlords, which will protect tenants and show when a landlord is serious about setting, achieving and maintaining high standards.
