Rogue landlord fined for letting uninhabitable proper...

An unscrupulous landlord has been ordered to pay almost £4,000 after tenants were discovered living in an appalling and unsafe property.

Officers in Cambridge found renters living in grim conditions at the house on Holbrook Road, CB1, with no electricity, heating or working shower in the property.

It also had inadequate fire safety precautions, no working kitchen sink, a rotting toilet, as well as piles of rubbish in both the front and back gardens.

During the investigation, officers found evidence of dangerous living conditions, overcrowding and tenant harassment.

The council sent landlord, Noelle Salameh, of Cambridge, a schedule of work to resolve the problems but follow up inspections revealed no improvement.

The 33-year old landlord was then served a formal improvement notice to compel her to comply with the notice, but subsequent inspections showed no real changes, leaving the council with little alternative but to prosecute.

Salameh pleaded guilty to the charges brought against her at Cambridge Magistrates Court, where she was fined a total of £2,478 with £1,370 costs and £108 victim surcharge.

Cllr Richard Johnson, Cambridge City Council’s executive councillor for housing, commented: “Nobody renting a home should be subjected to these shocking conditions.

“We are determined to take a tough line with rogue landlords who exploit their tenants for personal gain.”

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