Rogue landlord's £32,000 payout for unsafe properties 'serves as warning', says leader
Landlords have been served "an important warning" after one was ordered to pay £32,000 for allowing tenants to live and sleep in unsafe properties.
Thomas Evans – the owner of land known as the Oakery near Ludlow – failed to deal with numerous problems with his properties including a defective boiler/log burner, issues with electrical installations, incorrectly installed solid fuel appliances, and lack of hot water provision.
Telford Magistrates Court heard that these issues had not been addressed and in fact more problems were identified at the site which led to the decision to issue prohibition orders in March this year. These related to sanitation, drainage, heating, carbon monoxide, fire safety, drinking water, damp and mould. These posed serious risks to the health and safety of Evans’ tenants. His site consists of six flats and a travellers' site made up of 10 plots.
He was found to be in contravention of seven orders and fined £3,500 for each offence, plus a victim’s surcharge of £2,000 and costs of £5507.83.
