Peterborough Landlord Fined £15,000

21 June 2011, 15:18 | Updated: 22 June 2011, 10:28

A landlord has been fined £15,000 for renting out a house in Peterborough that was in "appalling condition", according to the City Council.

The property in Cromwell Road was taken over by Peterborough City Council in November 2010 due to its "appalling condition and lack of management".

During investigations into the state of the house, council workers found:

• The risk of explosion from an uncapped gas pipe
• The electric meter was bypassed, leaving scorch marks from live cables and posing a serious fire risk
• Blocked drainage pipes causing stagnant water to pool in rear yard which was rubbish strewn and overgrown
• There were no fire detectors, fire doors or fire fighting equipment 
• The front and rear doors were insecure allowing access by strangers who used the property to take drugs
• The boiler was inoperable leaving tenants with no heating or hot water
• The stairs and banisters were damaged and filthy
• There was refuse strewn throughout the property
• There were no working lights in the kitchen

The landlord, Vajinder Kaur of Thorpe Road in Peterborough, was also found guilty of "having control or managing a house of multiple occupancy without a licence when one was required under the Housing Act 2004."

She has been fined £15,000, and must also pay costs of £7,216.91 and a £15 victim surcharge.

Jo Hodges, Peterborough City Council's Senior Neighbourhoods Enforcement Officer, said: "The level of fine in this case reflects the extremely poor conditions and lack of attention paid to the property and the law by the owner, and her husband who helped her operate it.

Kaur had been given many opportunities to deal with the issues, but failed to do so.

Landlords in the city who flout the law will be prosecuted.

Not only do we have a duty to safeguard tenants and neighbourhoods but we also have a responsibility to the good landlords to make sure we take appropriate action to deal with the rogues."