Torbay landlords are once again being warned by Torbay Council to ‘comply with the law or risk prosecution’.
The warning follows another recent prosecution brought by Torbay Council against a Torquay landlord, which resulted in her being ordered to pay a total of £4,650 in fines and costs.
The case, which was heard at Torquay Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday 11 February 2015, was brought by Torbay Council’s Legal Services and Housing Standards Team.
The case was heard in the absence of Ms Charlotte Kate Pollard of 32 Oxlea Road, Torquay for the offence of failure to comply with an improvement notice served under the Housing Act 2004.
The Magistrates found Ms Pollard guilty of the offence and sentenced her to a fine of £4000 and ordered her to pay costs in the sum of £450 and a victim surcharge of £200.
The contraventions at the properties related to damp conditions, avoidable sewage contamination of a kitchen and excessively cold conditions.
Executive Lead for Housing, Councillor David Thomas, said: “This result is one in a series of successful prosecutions achieved by Torbay Council as part of a continued and targeted effort to pursue those landlords who fail to provide safe and adequate housing for their tenants”.
“We must not tarnish all landlords with the same reputation. The majority of Torbay’s landlords provide a high standard of accommodation for their tenants. The actions and inactions of a minority of landlords leave vulnerable individuals and families living in poor conditions having a negative effect on their health and wellbeing. These properties in turn have a negative effect on their immediate environment and the local community. There are laws to protect tenants from poor housing provision and it is the landlord’s who disregard the law who we will continue to target”.
This is one of a number of prosecutions brought by Torbay Council under the partnership banner of the Rogue Landlords Programme. Whilst led by the council’s Housing Standards Team, it is a supported programme by a group of officers from Devon and Cornwall Police, the Immigration Service and Devon and Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service, in a continued aim to drive up standards of private rented accommodation in Torbay.
Anyone with a concern about the condition of their private rented property, whether you are a landlord or tenant, please contact Torbay Council for advice on telephone 01803 208025 or visit www.torbay.gov.uk/housingstandards. You can also follow the team on Twitter @TorbayNHT.
News archive
- February 2019 (4)
- January 2019 (11)
- December 2018 (11)
- November 2018 (14)
- October 2018 (14)
- September 2018 (9)
- August 2018 (7)
- July 2018 (19)
- June 2018 (21)
- May 2018 (7)
- April 2018 (10)
- March 2018 (35)
- February 2018 (9)
- January 2018 (15)
- December 2017 (9)
- November 2017 (17)
- October 2017 (11)
- September 2017 (6)
- August 2017 (7)
- July 2017 (13)
- June 2017 (22)
- May 2017 (16)
- April 2017 (8)
- March 2017 (9)
- February 2017 (9)
- January 2017 (4)
- December 2016 (10)
- November 2016 (11)
- October 2016 (14)
- September 2016 (9)
- August 2016 (10)
- July 2016 (11)
- June 2016 (4)
- May 2016 (20)
- April 2016 (14)
- March 2016 (18)
- February 2016 (8)
- January 2016 (15)
- December 2015 (13)
- November 2015 (19)
- October 2015 (17)
- September 2015 (8)
- August 2015 (6)
- July 2015 (19)
- June 2015 (11)
- May 2015 (20)
- April 2015 (14)
- March 2015 (15)
- February 2015 (13)
- January 2015 (17)
- December 2014 (17)
- November 2014 (18)
- October 2014 (14)
- September 2014 (17)
- August 2014 (16)
- July 2014 (10)
- June 2014 (8)
- May 2014 (1)
- February 2014 (1)
- January 0001 (1)